Developing nations slam US farm bill at WTO

[Judi Lynn]

Source: The Times of India/Associated Press

Developing nations slam US farm bill at WTO
4 Jun 2008, 0131 hrs IST,AP

GENEVA: Brazil, India and other developing countries said on Tuesday that the new US farm bill will be an obstacle to global trade talks aimed at lifting millions worldwide out of poverty.

A group of 20 developing nations also including China, Mexico and Argentina echoed criticism by WTO chief Pascal Lamy, who last week said the new US farm bill sent a bad signal to the world while talks on a new global trade deal were continuing.

The emerging countries said the ‘‘new bill heads agriculture policies in the wrong direction at a decisive juncture of the WTO Doha Round,'' referring to the trade talks, which started seven years ago in the Qatari capital of Doha.

The US Congress last month passed a bill that provides new and bigger subsidies to US farmers and more food stamps to help the poor buy food as grocery prices rise.

The 20 countries in a joint statement said the trade talks should bring significant reductions in trade-distorting subsidies in developed countries to boost agricultural trade and promote development. But by allowing higher subsidy payments for certain commodities, the farm bill contradicts the purpose of the talks, it said.



Read more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Business/Intl_Business/Developing_nations_slam_US_farm_bill_at_WTO/rssarticleshow/3097564.cms

[Hydra]

1. haha

WTO Wahhhhmbulance.

Funny that they don't care about the poor until they want something.

[truedelphi]

2. The poor can no longer even think abt eating cake unless

IT is genetically modified cake.
Or genetically modified rice.

[Hydra]

3. Have you gotten any cake out of the bargain?

I can't even afford twinkies...which I think would count under all the categories you mentioned :evilgrin:

Seriously, the WTO told the world to f*** off when we wanted to know what they were talking about a few years ago. They can go whine to the Bilderbergers.

[truedelphi]

4. My County is officially listed as being a place so impossible to find a job

That I qualify for food stamps!! WIthout having to look for work.

I am eating well for the first time in eighteen months!!

If I lived in a big city, I would be just as unemployed (Have been told by big city employers I am too old to work for them, it would raise their health insurance rates.)

But in the city, I wouldn't be able to get the FS's...

[Hydra]

6. Congrats on your small victory

Although eating is far from "small" :evilgrin:

[truedelphi]

9. If I wanted them - I could afford Twinkies!!

Sorry if I am rubbing it in, but there are no longer two days a month when there is no food! This feels so good I can't even describe how good it feels.

We can even occasionally have ice cream! Or crackers!

[Hydra]

10. OMG! Ice Cream!

I have to wait for my rebate check for that! :p

That's good, though. I know what you mean about the 2 days per month- our bills weren't getting paid so that we would avoid having 2 days every two weeks before I got paid.

[truedelphi]

11. I had almost forgotten how ice cream is so cold, and can be so creamy

And if you buy a half gallon it takes up a whole slot in the once empty freezer.

I can't believe that this stuff, food, is so important to us mortals. But apparently it is.

[Hydra]

12. It goes back to that bad joke

"Sex is like air- it's not important, unless you aren't getting any!"

Lots of things are like that. Food, water, shelter...

I have to say that I savor every morsel I get. Some of my friends think I'm obsessive, but a good brownie is worth it, IMO.

[truedelphi]

19. Brownie's are my favorite sweet.

Prefer them to candy and ice cream or any other kind of cake or cookie.

[Canuckistanian]

5. ???

What are you saying? "they don't care about the poor until they want something"

Who is "they"?

[Hydra]

7. World Trade Orgaization(WTO)

The people who set up free speech zones and then ordered the cops to attack the protesters.

At the time, there were suggestions that they were catering entirely to the Corps, so I find it ironic that they are now using the poor as an attempted guilt point for attacking our policies when they don't agree with the WTO's.

[Canuckistanian]

14. Ah, now I get you

Thanks for the explanation. :hi:

[excess_3]

8. commodity prices, too high or too low? .n/t

[oldskool]

13. Go figure

Other countries need to prosper and we get food stamps. What's
wrong with this picture. Helping  farmers helps our local,
state, and federal economies.Free trade needs to be reformed
to fair trade. All the good paying jobs are gone or taken. The
fierce urgency of now is to heal this broken nation and broken
government.

[JDPriestly]

15. Other nations have to understand that Uncle Sam is not a rich uncle who

can afford to take care of their needs.

Maybe we used to be a rich uncle, but we aren't any more. The thought of hungry people all over the world is horrible and I feel great compassion for them.

But the fact is, our dollar is not worth much. If you study what is going on on Wall Street, you realize that we are close to broke. These "developing" nations, unfortunately, are going to have to develop with very little help from us.

We are not really taking care of ourselves. We buy their products on credit. We eat our own agricultural commodities on credit. We fight our wars on credit. If you added up our assets and subtracted our debts, you would realize where we really are. Close to bankrupt if not bankrupt.

And on top of it all, our government is funded to a great extent by income taxes at a time when incomes on which taxes can be easily assessed are declining. It will get worse because a good portion of our population is too old to produce much or soon will be too old to produce much. You can't squeeze blood out of a turnip.

In the not so distant future, we are going to be forced to impose tariffs just to fund our government. That will be the end of free trade. And those who espouse free markets and free trade are going to have to figure out an alternative to income taxes or give up their dream of free markets/trade.

[Hydra]

16. This goes beyond even that

We were not really helping these people to begin with- our help usually involved getting access to their natural resources or making them dependent on the food we exported to them or both.

In the end, I think this will lead to some positive changes- the free traders need to shut up about how the world should be open to corporate rape.

[JDPriestly]

17. You certainly have a point

Have you read Confessions of An Economic Hitman?

How about Naomi Klein's book? Those books support your statements.

[Hydra]

20. I haven't read them per se

But I have read a lot about what those books were based on- The debacle in Chile, The installment of the Shah in Iran, various IMF disasters...and those books were usually mentioned in the more recent articles.

The reports paint a clear picture that we have been carving a path of destruction throughout the world under the guise of bringing freedom and capitalism to people(which seem to be concepts that don't mix well).

[JDPriestly]

18. You certainly have a point

Have you read Confessions of An Economic Hitman?

How about Naomi Klein's book? Those books support your statements.