Reasons why I hate the New Deal, Part I
As a conservative-libertarian, it's only natural that any programme of massive government interference in everyone's lives draws my ire. The two biggest packages of this interference were Presidente-for-life FDR's New Deal and Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty". Thanks to these two, we can no longer claim to be living in a capitalist nation.
Of course, people ask me why they should work towards the abolition of these odious programmes because they "help so many disenfranchised people." My contention is that they don't.
To-day in the always sharp EU Referendum Blog,they describe the destructive effect of New Deal Era subsidies on third world agricultural producers. Because US Farmers (along with their similarly pampered EU counterparts) are subsidised to literally grow nothing, they can afford to "dump" their excess products at low cost in developing markets. This drives prices down, and third-world producers out of business.
The upshot of this is that third world nations don't have the chance to create their own agricultural production, and what agricultural production they have is dragged down by the subsidised western industry. All of this results from FDR's programme of farm subsidies which has gone unchallenged since his dictatorship-in-all-but-name.
Interestingly enough, we discussed the very issue of farm subsidies in our American Congress class. It seems that neither of the major parties ever investigate this waste, and only representatives from states that have a vested interest in these policies sit on the appropriate committees.
Well, it isn't just wasting government money anymore. It's wasting third world nations, and no one does a damned thing about it. Instead, we get the constant prattle about debt relief and more aid money. Bah.
Of course, people ask me why they should work towards the abolition of these odious programmes because they "help so many disenfranchised people." My contention is that they don't.
To-day in the always sharp EU Referendum Blog,they describe the destructive effect of New Deal Era subsidies on third world agricultural producers. Because US Farmers (along with their similarly pampered EU counterparts) are subsidised to literally grow nothing, they can afford to "dump" their excess products at low cost in developing markets. This drives prices down, and third-world producers out of business.
The upshot of this is that third world nations don't have the chance to create their own agricultural production, and what agricultural production they have is dragged down by the subsidised western industry. All of this results from FDR's programme of farm subsidies which has gone unchallenged since his dictatorship-in-all-but-name.
Interestingly enough, we discussed the very issue of farm subsidies in our American Congress class. It seems that neither of the major parties ever investigate this waste, and only representatives from states that have a vested interest in these policies sit on the appropriate committees.
Well, it isn't just wasting government money anymore. It's wasting third world nations, and no one does a damned thing about it. Instead, we get the constant prattle about debt relief and more aid money. Bah.
posted by The Admiral at 9:31 AM
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