orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER) (04/09/85)
> Why is it, that until the days of FDR, this country managed quite nicely > without all those "great social programs", and now, in the thinking of > so many people, we are doomed to be opressors, dictartors, or worse if > we don't have them? A case in point; the current farm crisis. While > there is no denying that the farmers in this country are in a major, and > in some cases, life threatening bind, if the goverenment again comes to > the rescue, the farmers will be just that much worse off in the long > run. The farm industry in this country, like so many others, is > changing, and some people had better damn well take their heads out of > the sand, and look around, and either sell their land and get another > sort of job, go back to school or somthing. They may not like doing this, > but nobody should expect a government hand-out just because conditions > are changing. In my opinion, the family farm is rapidly becoming a > thing of the past, due primairly to automation. > > Mike Stalnaker UUCP:{decvax!grendel,cbosgd!seismo}!dolqci!mike > AT&T:202-376-2593 > USPS:601 D. St. NW, Room 7122, Washington, DC, 20213 Actually according to reports on National Public Radio and the New York Times large farms are *not* the most efficient in terms of productivity. The most efficient farms in terms of productivity are the middle-sized family farms that are among those most in trouble. This should be no surprise: we hear free-enterprise buffs tell us constantly about how the 10% of Polish agriculture produces 50% of certain foodstuffs. Large is not necessarily better: whether its capitalistic or socialistically run enterprises. The primary advantage to large farmers over medium sized farmers is financial: they have more collateral for crop loans and to weather bad financial times. They are *not* more productive. And what will happen to our system of agriculture if it becomes dominated by a few oligopolistic producers able to restrict production and raise prices? It would seem that supporting the free market means supporting the number of small and *productive* producers that makes it work most efficiently. tim sevener whuxl!orb
js2j@mhuxt.UUCP (sonntag) (04/09/85)
> The primary advantage to large farmers over medium sized > farmers is financial: they have more collateral for crop loans and to > weather bad financial times. They are *not* more productive. > > And what will happen to our system of agriculture if it becomes dominated > by a few oligopolistic producers able to restrict production and raise > prices? > tim sevener whuxl!orb People have always been willing to farm for only marginal, sometimes nonexistant profits. If these oligopolistic producers restrict production and raise prices, there will be plenty of people willing to compete with them. -- Jeff Sonntag ihnp4!mhuxt!js2j "You're from Joisey? I'm from Joisey!" "Which exit?"