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Cyrano

(15,023 posts)
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 03:54 PM Jul 2018

American farmers -- "Welfare queens"

Trump's stupid, uninformed, tariff circle jerk has fucked most mid-western American farmers. Realizing this, after the fact, he's giving them $12 billion in bail out funds.

Does this make American farmers "welfare queens?"

I'm sure the farmers aren't happy with their orange idol right now. And I'm sure the Republican Party isn't happy with this "welfare thing" since they hate "welfare things."

Yet, the dumb orange creature continues to fuck up the American economy, and the world economy, along with fucking up everything else he touches.

So about the Republican Party that doesn't like that "welfare thing." Are they going to cut off the bail out funds to those farmers who are their voters?

39 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
American farmers -- "Welfare queens" (Original Post) Cyrano Jul 2018 OP
There are very few actual farmers left underpants Jul 2018 #1
Disagree TheFarseer Jul 2018 #12
There are 50,000 farms in Michigan. woundedkarma Jul 2018 #14
How about this for perspective Rural_Progressive Jul 2018 #17
Nonsense. Tipperary Jul 2018 #38
Where is the rage about bailouts? Is a bailout for whiskey producers next? tonyt53 Jul 2018 #2
To be fair it's not so much the farmers, but the corporate farms/combines. sandensea Jul 2018 #3
We have friends Skidmore Jul 2018 #4
But many farmers voted for the abomination who imposed tariffs that aren't necessary. iluvtennis Jul 2018 #5
We own a family farm. murielm99 Jul 2018 #9
I hear you! Rebl2 Jul 2018 #16
I live in the South greymattermom Jul 2018 #34
Yes indeed Rural_Progressive Jul 2018 #37
Without y'all we starve sarah FAILIN Jul 2018 #39
In 79, the Russian grain embargo TheFarseer Jul 2018 #6
We can safely bet that many people around the globe.... KY_EnviroGuy Jul 2018 #19
The Republicans caused this, not "we" suegeo Jul 2018 #27
Will they impose a work requirement for their new welfare queens? pecosbob Jul 2018 #7
Exactly! BaronChocula Jul 2018 #24
I always thought farmers were expected to tough it out... pecosbob Jul 2018 #26
If they take it it sure does. The majority of them voted for this and now we have to bail them out Afromania Jul 2018 #8
It's welfare for others they hate lame54 Jul 2018 #10
Trump is going to fix the American economy - one band-aid at a time. Jim__ Jul 2018 #11
He's buying their votes MariaCSR Jul 2018 #13
Mid-terms sarge43 Jul 2018 #18
Socialist republicans are following the kremlin plans to a T Achilleaze Jul 2018 #15
Many of them still support him and will continue with this gift question everything Jul 2018 #20
Republicans demand drug testing workinclasszero Jul 2018 #21
Trapped Nasruddin Jul 2018 #22
Everyone knows that the GOP did this to help midterms. Period. BigmanPigman Jul 2018 #23
Exactly. old guy Jul 2018 #32
corporate farms have always been subsidized elmac Jul 2018 #25
His "Work to Welfare" program. SHRED Jul 2018 #28
In short, all of us are paying for this ... farmers, us (as shoppers), etc. SWBTATTReg Jul 2018 #29
Separating farmers from their land is part of the plan bucolic_frolic Jul 2018 #30
Don't leave Big Ag out of the mix... Wounded Bear Jul 2018 #35
K & R Duppers Jul 2018 #31
So where are the offsets? SCVDem Jul 2018 #33
The EU needs to embargo all US agricultural products... roamer65 Jul 2018 #36

underpants

(182,285 posts)
1. There are very few actual farmers left
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 03:59 PM
Jul 2018

It's dominated by ConAgra ADM etc. This is a corporate bail out due to his own dumbass policy

TheFarseer

(9,308 posts)
12. Disagree
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 05:05 PM
Jul 2018

I know a lot of farmers including my dad. He only votes on abortion so he helped cause this but Republicans have generally been free traders so what can you do?

I do agree that large corporations get much of the money meant for family farms and shouldn’t.

 

woundedkarma

(498 posts)
14. There are 50,000 farms in Michigan.
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 05:09 PM
Jul 2018

30,000 are small farms producing less than $10,000. The big companies do most of the food production. But saying there are few farmers left simply isn't true.

Rural_Progressive

(1,105 posts)
17. How about this for perspective
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 05:19 PM
Jul 2018

Currently less than 1% of the citizens of this country provide all the domestically produced food to our remaining 99% of citizens. Here's what makes it even more fun, the vast majority of us are over 55 years old. So yeah , there are few farmers and most of us are getting on in the years.

sandensea

(21,530 posts)
3. To be fair it's not so much the farmers, but the corporate farms/combines.
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 04:07 PM
Jul 2018

They hoover up most of the $25+ billion in agro subsidies.

Skidmore

(37,364 posts)
4. We have friends
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 04:15 PM
Jul 2018

who farm, several of them. Some voted for Trump and regret it. Farmers do own family farms and are being badly hurt by Trump. Don't make assumptions. We hear much discussion about if they will be able to sell this year's crop or plan for next year's. Tariffs hits both of the crops here and pork farmers.

Rural_Progressive

(1,105 posts)
37. Yes indeed
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 09:10 PM
Jul 2018

I keep hoping that people like you and me can do some educating and the good folks here will step above but it's starting to feel like a hopeless task.

sarah FAILIN

(2,857 posts)
39. Without y'all we starve
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 09:40 PM
Jul 2018

I'm ok with subsidies for family farmers, but I hope it would be the little guys that get it first.

A lot of people forget our food doesn't actually come from a box, lol.

TheFarseer

(9,308 posts)
6. In 79, the Russian grain embargo
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 04:57 PM
Jul 2018

Ruined farming for the 80’s. Even when it was cancelled they didn’t want to buy from us. They had found other suppliers for 8 million tons of grain annually. I hope we not creating another farm crisis by pissing off China but it sure looks like we are.

KY_EnviroGuy

(14,483 posts)
19. We can safely bet that many people around the globe....
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 05:28 PM
Jul 2018

are plowing fresh ground as we speak. Won't have impact this year, but perhaps in 2019 and farther on.....

suegeo

(2,571 posts)
27. The Republicans caused this, not "we"
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 05:54 PM
Jul 2018

"We" kinda shares the blame. This mess belongs entirely to the traitors in the party of Putin. Republicans are buying farmers votes with our tax dollars.

The GOP needs to be driven into the sea and the earth salted behind them.

pecosbob

(7,511 posts)
7. Will they impose a work requirement for their new welfare queens?
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 04:57 PM
Jul 2018

Republican economic plan...

1. Enact tariffs putting farmers out of a job.

2. Pay farmers subsidies.

3. Make farmers work at bullshit low wage jobs like MacDonald's for subsidies.

BaronChocula

(1,458 posts)
24. Exactly!
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 05:44 PM
Jul 2018

Where are you Justin Amash and Rand Paul!

BTW, you forgot #4 - Find a way to make their health care more inaccessible.

pecosbob

(7,511 posts)
26. I always thought farmers were expected to tough it out...
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 05:49 PM
Jul 2018

rub some dirt on it...you don't need no socialamalistic health care, smealth care.

Afromania

(2,767 posts)
8. If they take it it sure does. The majority of them voted for this and now we have to bail them out
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 04:58 PM
Jul 2018

That's some bullshit right there. They have been getting subsidies in one way or another for years. Agribiz is doing all sorts of wild shit to drive the normal folks out of business. The republicans let it happen to em but they kept on voting republican.

Now, like everything else the fuckery has reached its end game and they are being screwed right along with the rest of us. Who knew, right? except everybody that didn't vote republican.

So pull on up, take your number and get in the que farmers. There's enough beatings for each and every one of us to take thanks to your votes.

Jim__

(14,045 posts)
11. Trump is going to fix the American economy - one band-aid at a time.
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 05:05 PM
Jul 2018

Me - I'm putting my money into band-aids.

sarge43

(28,939 posts)
18. Mid-terms
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 05:21 PM
Jul 2018

It's hush money. If the Repugs survive November, I can promise them they won't get another bail out.

Achilleaze

(15,543 posts)
15. Socialist republicans are following the kremlin plans to a T
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 05:11 PM
Jul 2018

First they piss on America's farmers, then they rob taxpayers to try and smother the stink of their piss with a bribe made up of our tax money.

republicans and their russian goon buddies have found yet another way to weaken America.

question everything

(47,271 posts)
20. Many of them still support him and will continue with this gift
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 05:35 PM
Jul 2018

From a story about Minnesota

Soybean-and-corn farmer Keith Schrader said the escalation of the trade conflict with China in May depressed prices and soured this year’s outlook at his 5,000-acre operation. Beijing recently imposed 25% tariffs on soybeans.

“When the trade stuff hit—boom—we went back to unprofitability,” Mr. Schrader said. As a staunch Republican, he said he would probably still vote again for Rep. Jason Lewis, seen as one of the most vulnerable Republicans up for reelection this year.

Mr. Schrader said he has “run on periods of thin margins my whole life.”

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1059&pid=6832

 

workinclasszero

(28,270 posts)
21. Republicans demand drug testing
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 05:38 PM
Jul 2018

and insist on welfare to work programs for everyone on welfare.

Are they going to do the same to these farmers?

Nasruddin

(741 posts)
22. Trapped
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 05:39 PM
Jul 2018

It's worse than you think.

Farmers are trapped into a production system to a considerable extent. They plant a narrow range of crops (because of local support and buying patterns) and have to pick the mix they plant based on economic forecasts - those forecasts are fairly constrained, like a chessboard.

Tariffs and a trade war are like someone coming along and kicking the chessboard.

Then there are taxes. Real estate taxes on farm lands in at least some midwestern states are a) based on expected yields, which further reduces what a farmer can do with land and b) paid in arrears - for instance IL taxes are 1 year in arrears. This means the tax debt to be paid _now_ was already assessed on expected earnings _then_ (1 year +mos ago). If you're going to lose a lot of money this year, you are still going to be paying a great big tax bill (midwestern real estate taxes are VERY high) next year out of your empty wallet.

That being said, most of the farm area folks are right wingers who voted for this guy, and have no excuse about not seeing this sort of thing coming since he told them about what he planned on doing continuously during his campaign. They wanted to be conned. Maybe they thought it was all big talk like what you hear in the town cafe day in and day out. Whatever the thinking, a bail out spares them from learning from the consequences of their actions (those that can learn).

 

elmac

(4,642 posts)
25. corporate farms have always been subsidized
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 05:48 PM
Jul 2018

in some way either by fed or state. No worse then big oil, pharma, or any other corporate welfare queens.

SWBTATTReg

(21,859 posts)
29. In short, all of us are paying for this ... farmers, us (as shoppers), etc.
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 06:01 PM
Jul 2018

who pay any tax at all. And depending upon how the program to pay back the farmers is set up, e.g., will the produce that the farmer produces and sells for govt support then be owned by the govt? What will the govt do? Donate and then hurt the produce market again? Or destroy the produce? Or give it to the poor? Or, will the farmers get to keep the produce and see it at an reduced price that they normally would have gotten?

Sounds like a scam waiting ... and I do know that it does help those farmers who truly need it, not the multi-state corporate farms and the like...

bucolic_frolic

(42,681 posts)
30. Separating farmers from their land is part of the plan
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 06:02 PM
Jul 2018

to convey the land to oil drillers and home builders, those two Republican growth industries.

Wounded Bear

(58,442 posts)
35. Don't leave Big Ag out of the mix...
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 06:52 PM
Jul 2018

This cycle will hive off another few thousand family farms to get hoover up by the corporations.

 

SCVDem

(5,103 posts)
33. So where are the offsets?
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 06:28 PM
Jul 2018

The rich keep their millions and we will get fucked paying for these bailouts.

roamer65

(36,739 posts)
36. The EU needs to embargo all US agricultural products...
Tue Jul 24, 2018, 06:53 PM
Jul 2018

if Dump goes ahead with that stupid auto tariff. The EU has wanted to shutout our Ag products for years. They can be sourced elsewhere.

No taxpayer bailout of self inflected wounds!

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