Those American Monsters!

[MikeyDB]

I hope you're not still laboring under the illusion that the war in Afghanistan was about the people of Afghanistan...are you?

The war in Afghanistan is about America and American interests, that's why and where it started and that it's been source of blood and failure after failure shouldn't be a surprise.

 

[darkbeaver]

But but Mickey aren't we helping them become productive citizens of the globalized family of rightniceness and leading them into the valley of a stable wholesome neo-liberal economic nirvana where they can learn to watch wonderfull disney films about talking chickens and shop at Wal-mart for chinese sneakers like the rest of the civilized churchgoing rightwestern world uh?
Where is Afghanistan anyway?

 

[Colpy]

But but Mickey aren't we helping them become productive citizens of the globalized family of rightniceness and leading them into the valley of a stable wholesome neo-liberal economic nirvana where they can learn to watch wonderfull disney films about talking chickens and shop at Wal-mart for chinese sneakers like the rest of the civilized churchgoing rightwestern world uh?
Where is Afghanistan anyway?

Parts of Afghanistan are extremely arid, very high, dusty, rough, practically useless and devoid of any endearing features, ......something like the inside of your head.

 

[gopher]

The United States tops the list at 1.1 Billion dollars annually.


Farmers are paid billions every year to keep from growing and harvesting foods as part of the USA Farm Bill:

http://www.ewg.org/node/26416


"The farm bill, which comes along once every five years and will cost upward of $300 billion, in fact will do little to address many of the most pressing concerns. It will not change biofuel mandates that are directing more corn to ethanol and contributing to a global rise in food prices."


While it is great to see that we are exporting $ 1.1 billion in foodstuffs, wouldn't it be better if we exported $10 billion? Many hungry people worldwide would be better fed and farmers wouldn't lose anything.

 

[johai]

The United States tops the list at 1.1 Billion dollars annually.


Farmers are paid billions every year to keep from growing and harvesting foods as part of the USA Farm Bill:

http://www.ewg.org/node/26416


"The farm bill, which comes along once every five years and will cost upward of $300 billion, in fact will do little to address many of the most pressing concerns. It will not change biofuel mandates that are directing more corn to ethanol and contributing to a global rise in food prices."


While it is great to see that we are exporting $ 1.1 billion in foodstuffs, wouldn't it be better if we exported $10 billion? Many hungry people worldwide would be better fed and farmers wouldn't lose anything.

Well said and a good idea.

 

[Praxius]

I saw an interesting blurb on the coming food crisis on the CBC.

As part of the segment, they listed the countries that donate the most to international food aid.

Guess what? The United States tops the list at 1.1 Billion dollars annually. That is four times the amount given by the second largest contributor, which was the European Union at 250 million dollars. Canada was in the top 5, at 160 million dollars.

When will this greedy Imperialism by those monsters south of the border ever cease?

Well good for them, what do you want me to do about it, give em a cookie or a golden sticker for doing something nice over other nations which contribute to the same thing, just because they contribute more?

Whatever happened to "It's the Thought that Counts?" now we gotta judge who's the better country determined by how much they can shell out?

But then again, if you want to balance it all out in a technical way, how much are they contributing to this food aid thing and how much are they costing for food and reconstruction required due to wars overall? I have a funny feeling their contributions are a band aid on an axe wound.

If there wasn't two wars going on at this very moment, how many buildings and how much area of land would currently be useable for producing food for people around the world? What about the people who used to grow and sell it in those areas, who are now killed or displaced from their homes, and now are on the flip side as being another person needing the food handouts, rather then helping solve the problem by doing what they did all their lives back in their homes, growing food for their communities?

Their contributions are a drop in the bucket in comparison to the distruction currently being brought to millions across the globe.

But it's better then nothing.... Good job US.

 

[Colpy]

The United States tops the list at 1.1 Billion dollars annually.


Farmers are paid billions every year to keep from growing and harvesting foods as part of the USA Farm Bill:

http://www.ewg.org/node/26416


"The farm bill, which comes along once every five years and will cost upward of $300 billion, in fact will do little to address many of the most pressing concerns. It will not change biofuel mandates that are directing more corn to ethanol and contributing to a global rise in food prices."


While it is great to see that we are exporting $ 1.1 billion in foodstuffs, wouldn't it be better if we exported $10 billion? Many hungry people worldwide would be better fed and farmers wouldn't lose anything.

No argument here.........

 

[EagleSmack]

Ahhhhh... you just KNEW a thread like this would end up the way it is.

Thanks Colpy...great article but obviously tough for some to read.

 

[mabudon]

Ahhhhh... you just KNEW a thread like this would end up the way it is.

Thanks Colpy...great article but obviously tough for some to read.

Yep, you totally missed the part about "foreign aid" being a total sham

 

[darkbeaver]

Parts of Afghanistan are extremely arid, very high, dusty, rough, practically useless and devoid of any endearing features, ......something like the inside of your head.

Useless for whom? Seems it's kept millions of Afghans busy for thousands of years. Perhaps if I were a flag sucking lover of imperialist murderers I could endear myself with you. Sorry I don't need that kind of sick subserviant love. :smile:

 

[Zzarchov]

Its not foreign aid thats being discussed, its food aid. I missed where you showed food aid was a sham? Anyone?

Personally I don't see the need for food aid as some required right. How about people either make their own food or cede sovereignty to join another nation if they aren't self sufficient.

Sovereignty isn't all rights, its responsibilities too. Like feeding people.

 

[MikeyDB]

Eaglesmack

I'm re-evaluating my perception of you.... Yeah I know who cares right!

It's terribly unpleasant to have to have to come to terms with the reality of the situation that your nation has contributed to over many many years isn't it!?

 

[MikeyDB]

Bjeebers Zzarchov

Join the reality the rest of us are discussing here will ya!?

When the gas-guzzling me-first-always consumerism of America washes over us, we're prepared to accept the notion that using corn for fuel will "solve our energy problems"...the reason cited for food shortages is in part because the greedy want to keep the cars running and continue to rip-off their friends neighbors and countrymen like they have for generations....while of course the price of grain (a main staple used in food and foreign relief) goes through the roof....

Try keeping on the same page would you..?

 

[Zzarchov]

Bjeebers Zzarchov

Join the reality the rest of us are discussing here will ya!?

When the gas-guzzling me-first-always consumerism of America washes over us, we're prepared to accept the notion that using corn for fuel will "solve our energy problems"...the reason cited for food shortages is in part because the greedy want to keep the cars running and continue to rip-off their friends neighbors and countrymen like they have for generations....while of course the price of grain (a main staple used in food and foreign relief) goes through the roof....

Try keeping on the same page would you..?

Since when is what America does with food America produces the realm of the rest of the world?

No one has a right to American goods. If you rely on foreign food you have an unstable food supply and you should as a responsible government, rectify that situation.

Its no different than relying on foreign fuel, foreign minerals or foreign labour.

If America decides to turn all of its farmland into Nascar tracks and Gatorade factories, that is America's decision.

America isn't the governor of the world (as you like to point out) and it isn't responsible for feeding the world as a charity.

Nothing is stopping other countries from farming their own food to feed their own populations. If they can't feed their own populations, why the hell did they have so many kids that they can't feed?

 

[darkbeaver]

Since when is what America does with food America produces the realm of the rest of the world?

No one has a right to American goods. If you rely on foreign food you have an unstable food supply and you should as a responsible government, rectify that situation.

Its no different than relying on foreign fuel, foreign minerals or foreign labour.

If America decides to turn all of its farmland into Nascar tracks and Gatorade factories, that is America's decision.

America isn't the governor of the world (as you like to point out) and it isn't responsible for feeding the world as a charity.

Nothing is stopping other countries from farming their own food to feed their own populations. If they can't feed their own populations, why the hell did they have so many kids that they can't feed?

The IMF the World Bank and the WTO all work in concert with thier capitalist owners to ensure that no developing country does what you suggest. Western democracys cannot even feed themselves without rapeing the third world. Much of the food crisis is manufactured to exert dominion over the have nots, this is a fundemental of warfare and war is the linch pin enterprise of capitalism. The neo-liberal disease of disaster capitalism and war is sweeping the globe right now. Forget America except for thier bloated military they are already finished as #1.

 

[Zzarchov]

The IMF the World Bank and the WTO all work in concert with thier capitalist owners to ensure that no developing country does what you suggest. Western democracys cannot even feed themselves without rapeing the third world. Much of the food crisis is manufactured to exert dominion over the have nots, this is a fundemental of warfare and war is the linch pin enterprise of capitalism. The neo-liberal disease of disaster capitalism and war is sweeping the globe right now. Forget America except for thier bloated military they are already finished as #1.
[/color]

That is true, the western world has made it hard to farm in the third world.

You know how they did it? They overproduced cheap food that the third world couldn't compete with, there just wasn't the world demand.


So now that food prices are higher and there is a demand, guess what? The third world is free to rake in huge profits , cultivate their land and crawl out of poverty, because of biofuels.

Hurray for Biofuels. They provide an answer to the problem of western farm subsidies AND the fuel shortage in one go.


The great thing is, food is so easy to make. You buy seeds plant them, grow them, save some , plant again next year.

With low food prices it meant you had to use GM seeds to get a high enough yield to compete, now with higher food prices, good ole traditional agriculture that anyone can do, is viable again.

 

[I think not]

Poor Colpy, you're trying to apply reason to the innane.

America's scruples will always be questioned, and they should be, both from within and from the outside.

When the United States distributed billions worth of polio vaccines to Africa, the fringe left started plastering all over the media of a secret CIA plot to wipe out "niggers" in Africa. The end result was less than 10% of Africans being treated for polio.

They preferred to let them die from disease for the political motivations.

Today, the United States has implemented a multiyear 10 billion dollar plan to combat AIDS.

But if you take any of the American haters seriously, we should just stop offering any kind of assistance. Damned if we do, damned if we don't.

Your preaching to the morally bankrupt.

 

[earth_as_one]

That is true, the western world has made it hard to farm in the third world.

You know how they did it? They overproduced cheap food that the third world couldn't compete with, there just wasn't the world demand.


So now that food prices are higher and there is a demand, guess what? The third world is free to rake in huge profits , cultivate their land and crawl out of poverty, because of biofuels.

Hurray for Biofuels. They provide an answer to the problem of western farm subsidies AND the fuel shortage in one go.


The great thing is, food is so easy to make. You buy seeds plant them, grow them, save some , plant again next year.

With low food prices it meant you had to use GM seeds to get a high enough yield to compete, now with higher food prices, good ole traditional agriculture that anyone can do, is viable again.

Making it cheaper for poor nations to buy subsidized food from the west put many of their farmers out of the food for local consumption business and into the cash crop for export business.

Food production takes time to ramp up, regadless of prices. After the equipment and seeds have been purchased you still have to wait for the plants to grow.

The current rising cost of food will be good in the longrun for third world producers, but its bad for the consumers in the short term.

The 2007 Human Development Report (HDR) from the United Nations Development Program notes that, “There are still around 1 billion people living at the margins of survival on less than US$1 a day, with 2.6 billion—40 percent of the world’s population—living on less than US$2 a day.” (See page 25. The report also notes that the alleviation is limited mostly to parts of Asia.)

http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Facts.asp#src1

If a poor person earns a dollar a day but spends 50 cents a day on rice, then when the price of rice doubles, feeding yourself becomes problematic. That's why the world's poorest people are rioting.

I can't say if the US food aid program is a sham, but I do know their foreign aid program partly consists of helping pro-American dictators maintain their grip on power in places like Saudi Arabia and Egypt and help agressive nations like Israel bomb their neighbors.

 

[Zzarchov]

Well it seems to me that short term problems with long term solutions,


Is alot better than short term solutions causing long term problems.

 

[EagleSmack]

Eaglesmack

I'm re-evaluating my perception of you.... Yeah I know who cares right!

It's terribly unpleasant to have to have to come to terms with the reality of the situation that your nation has contributed to over many many years isn't it!?

Geez...what was your perception before?

I think the world does just fine creating their own messes w/o US help.