Why is it ok to subsidize agriculture but not manufacturing?

[Alhena]

What exactly are the farm bills we keep passing except a massive, ongoing bailout of agriculture in the US? Republicans have no problem with passing those farm bills, even though they are nothing more than government giving money to farmers who otherwise would have a hard time competing with farmers overseas. That is exactly the situation faced by manufacturing in the US, with the main difference being that factories employ a lot more workers than these mega-farms that keep feeding at the federal trough.

I'd like to see our auto industry become more effecient and maybe an auto czar could be appointed to accomplish that as part of any bailout. But regardless, I'd much rather see 50 billion in taxpayer dollars go to GM and Ford than to pay off AIG for some credit default swap gambling debt owed to a multi-billion dollar hedge fund. And make no mistake, that is where tens of billions of taxpayer dollars are being shoveled right now, no questions asked.

[HeraldSquare212]

1. That's a damn good point.

[Fresh_Start]

2. farm bills support GOP regions of the country

manufacturing support sometimes supports Dem regions of the country

[Alhena]

3. Yes and if we come through for Ohio and Michigan they will remember it next election

I don't mind admitting that politics plays a role in this- I think helping GM and Ford is the right thing to do, but if it's politically smart as well then so much the better.

[Fresh_Start]

12. I have no problem helping manufacturing

having come from union roots, I believe in "buy American"

American manufacturing base was the engine which fueled the middle class.
Service industry will never pay enough to build the middle class.
And there are too few professionals to build a middle class.

And, yes sometimes I buy inferior products because I want to support local businesses and local citizens.

[HereSince1628]

4. Because farmers are nobel small business republicans and manufacturing

employs dirty and crude union workers.

[AllentownJake]

8. The funny well not really funny thing is

Most agriculture is done by big businesses now. Most subsidies go to big Agribusiness. There are very little small farmers left.

[HereSince1628]

23. Don't try to kill a good myth with reality...

When the R's have made up their minds nothing changes it. Confronting them only causes them to dig in.

[AllentownJake]

5. Because Iowa has the first nominating process

in the country?

:shrug:

[pampango]

15. Hard to win the Iowa caucus in either party if you campaign on eliminating

agricultural subsidies, isn't it?

[AllentownJake]

16. I think a satanic candidate pro-ethanol and farm subsidies

has a better chance in Iowa than an anti-ethanol anti-subsidy Evangelical candidate.

[abumbyanyothername]

6. The money is not going to save AIG

It is going to save (unnamed) institutions that were dumb enough to buy credit default swaps from AIG. Some of which are probably just hedge funds making money for their investors.

At least one other of which is JP Morgan/Chase, IMO.

The bailouts have been all about keeping JPM afloat.

[Eric J in MN]

7. Public money shouldn't be used to pay a CEO $10 million/year.

If a corporation needs public money, then let the CEO take a salary more like the President of the US ($400,000.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/28/automobiles/28auto.html

[90-percent]

9. American Automakers

on the one hand, they deserve their fate, as the people that run them continue to make stupid short sighted decisions. On the other hand, the US Auto Industry is too big to fail. Or, if they fail, it will lower the standard of living of all Americans. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that gas mileage, alternate energy and alternate fuels will be necessary in the future. The Auto Giants have learned this lesson since the first gas crunch of 1973, thirty five freekin' years ago!

Americans that depend on US Auto Manufacturing shouldn't be penalized for the stupid decisions of the pinhead exec's of their companies that insist on making pin head short term stupid decisions.

It is in America's best interests to keep US auto makers viable and operating, but I think much government leadership is required to steer the industry towards what America wants and needs for automotive transport now and in to the near and far future.

-90% Jimmy

[acmavm]

10. Your's is the best question (and point) made about this whole

situation. I'm glad that you thought to phrase it this way.

Thank you.

[kenny blankenship]

11. Bcause Farmers are Godly men who live where the air is clean

and are uncorrupted by city ways and the horrible folk who live there.

And in contrast to the collapsed finance industry which has received carte blanche for its bailout, the auto industry ACTUALLY MAKES THINGS. It might be good for us to think on that.

[Nederland]

13. It's not

We shouldn't subsidize anything.

[slackmaster]

14. In some cases a government-run monopoly makes sense

Like the space program.

[BumRushDaShow]

17. Alot of the farm bill money goes towards Food Stamps

and other low-income programs. There's alot buried in there.

http://www.ers.usda.gov/FarmBill/2008/Titles/TitleIVNutrition.htm

[Cosmic Charlie]

18. because you can still make steel and cars in a drought

Farmers are slaves to the weather, and sometimes it doesn't play nice. Sometimes for years on end.

[cemaphonic]

19. There's also a lot to be said for stablizing our food supply.

Manufacturing failure = economic pain

Agricultural failure = Mass starvation (worldwide, as we are a food exporter)

Now, whether our policies accomplish this effectively is another question, and one that I do not know nearly enough about to discuss, but the why seems clear enough to me.

[TexasObserver]

20. Agriculture controls a number of small population states with inordinate senate power

THAT is why.

[suston96]

21. Why agriculture? That's easy: we cannot eat our cars. nt

[gmoney]

22. Pay GM to NOT make cars?

Aren't a fair amount of subsidies still paying farmers (or even landowners) NOT to produce crops to help prop up higher market prices?