No. Paying some farmers not to produce is how subsidies work. It keeps the price up so American farmers keep overproducing. This prevents famine in the case of economic or natural disaster.
That's the excuse. In practice it makes the agriculture sector economically fragile through the inefficiencies of central planning. Ever been annoyed about all the corn syrup and soy in your food? That's subsidies.
Ever had food prices so high that the bottom 30% of the population can barely afford food or literally starve? No? It used to happen all the time. I'm not praising the focus on corn, imo it's disgraceful. But call it an excuse or not, combined with modern farming subsidies have worked for nearly a hundred years and saved countless American lives.
Ever had food prices so high that the bottom 30% of the population can barely afford food or literally starve? No? It used to happen all the time.
When? The only time that used to happen in european history was when there were wars, plagues or crop failures so extensive all food production was affected. Subsidies aren't going to stop that. And even if things do get that bad you're still going to be paying the subsidy you can't afford. The cost just gets hidden.
But call it an excuse or not, combined with modern farming subsidies have worked for nearly a hundred years and saved countless American lives.
I highlighted the relevant section. Mechanisation and improved farming methods are what have made food cheap, not central planning.
The only time that used to happen in european history was when there were wars, plagues or crop failures so extensive all food production was affected. Subsidies aren't going to stop that.
European history is almost a full time war. And plagues and crop failures were common too. But that aside, what subsidies do is ensure there is twice the cropland America needs. If half the country fails to produce the other half can keep us (if not the rest of the world) fed. You probably missed the news the last few times there were bad crop yields. You missed them because all the suffering happened outside American borders.
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