Producing your own food is a strategic concern. Nothing makes you quite so vulnerable as not producing enough food for your entire population. Even if you're the richest nation on earth.

When the food market is open I think the areas of the world will specialize in making the sort of food they can make best. I dont think any nation is going to stop making food because it is cheaper somewhere else. Relative cost differences will make sure of that.

Difficult for a third-world farmer with oxen towing a wooden plow to produce enough grain to support his family if competing in a market with US government subsidized grain intended to increase exports to reduce a faltering GDP.

The only problem with your statement is that US farmers are subsidized to NOT grow in order to keep prices UP. So how does that impact the Third World farmer negatively?

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843rd Bomb Wing - Strategic Air Command
"Peace is our Profession"

"Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants.
" - James Wilson, U. S. Supreme Court Justice and Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

It is also difficult for the US farmer with a John Deere combine to support his family, when competing with cheap foreign agriculture.

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One day, I will sneak across the border into Canada and be an illegal alien. It will be fun.

Ha Ha - even your cats are fat and lazy.

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It all comes down to this on election day: Are you a racist, or do you look down on spastics?

You're kidding right? No one could be that clueless about American agriculture. If Europe wasn't slapping high tariffs on US imported food, Europe's farmers would be starving. As for the areas with "cheap labor", they can't even feed themselves. The last time China tried to export large amounts of food, Mao was in power and 10's of millions of Chinese starved to deeath as a result.

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843rd Bomb Wing - Strategic Air Command
"Peace is our Profession"

"Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants.
" - James Wilson, U. S. Supreme Court Justice and Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

You're right I am clueless when it comes to agriculture. I only leave the city when visiting someplace with nice scenery and a good climate. And I find country music to be generally uncomfortable, even if they are just singing the story of our lives. And I don't think that farmers across Europe would ever starve.

As for the famine in China, that's not what I was getting at. That was the Chinese Govt exporting all the grain at the peasants' expense.

I am saying that every nation has a vital interest to sustain a domestic agriculture industry. That includes the USA, China and every nation in between. It's a given.

And therefore it is a reason for govt tariffs and/or subsidies. Left to a truly free global market, US agriculture would be in a bad state. Right? I suspect the situation in Europe is the same.

Americano talks about the 3rd world farmer and his oxen, but how much should 1st world nations limit themselves so the 3rd world farmer can have a little more? There is a balance somewhere.

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One day, I will sneak across the border into Canada and be an illegal alien. It will be fun.

Are you sure they did not just go there for a free shower?

I mean, I saw some videos and it looked like many of them hadn't washed themselves in weeks

It appears that the security forces were happy to provide a charitible free shower for the needy with their water cannons.

And I know what you mean about "pulling hotties". These kind of "demonstrations" are prime hunting grounds for pussy. Especially since most of the "competition" for the pussy is a bunch of wimps. If you are good-looking and have muscles covering your bones all the females instantly gravitate towards you.

It's like "yep that evil Bush, Those poor africans and baby seals, gee I like nature too, we have a connection lets go fuck".

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We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

This was the point that I was trying to make. In a truly free global market, US agriculture would kick the rest of the world's asses. That's why Europe has its high tariffs against US imports. We pay farmers NOT TO GROW because when they do, they drive the prices down too low. And since the protectionist markets in Europe and elsewhere place high tariffs on American produce, we wind up with a glut and it winds up rotting unsold in the US.
In a truly free global market, the little farmer might as well sell his oxen for its meat value, because he can't be competitive globally.

__________________
843rd Bomb Wing - Strategic Air Command
"Peace is our Profession"

"Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants.
" - James Wilson, U. S. Supreme Court Justice and Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

There never has been a whole lot between the ears of peaceniks.

__________________
843rd Bomb Wing - Strategic Air Command
"Peace is our Profession"

"Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants.
" - James Wilson, U. S. Supreme Court Justice and Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

The US and Europe have similar agricultural productivity.

I think this is highly debatable. The US subsidizes the agriculture industry heavily, and in a truly 'free market' that wouldn't be allowed.

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First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college.

And I realise some of you may be having trouble deciding whether I am kidding or not. So from now on I will tell you when I'm kidding...

We are about to be attacked by al-Qaida. Wave flags if you have them. That always seems to scare them away. I'm kidding.
-Kurt Vonnegut