So, here's the story that brings this thread to life:
https://stories.usatodaynetwork.com/seedsofdespair/
As I'm reading through it, I'm just so confused by what seems to me to be a huge glaring thing, and I'm going to try and work it out here. Feel free to add your thoughts.
All these farmers are losing their farms because, for whatever reason, the farm is no longer profitable. Costs vs profits, natural disasters, climate change maybe, global market trends, politics, all of the above. But the bottom line is that their business model is no longer working. Now, in every other industry I can think of, this is the sign that you find a new business model. Or a new business. The capitalist-loving pro-Trump Real Americans have been very clear about this, and about how our system works perfectly in this manner. I am especially kind of bitter about this because, as a refugee from the newspaper industry, I can't jive the gleeful comments I read about the death of my former industry and way of life (for all people, really) with the OMG OUR FARMERS! attitude that seems perfectly acceptable. Farming is a job and a way of life, fine, I'll accept that. So was my job. It was my life, and if you weren't a reporter, there's a million things you'll never understand about me and how I view the world. Same is probably true for lots of industries. Also, unlike farming, Freedom of the Press is actually in the First Amendment, and I can think of only a few things more American, so I am constantly confused by how a lot of MAGA folks seem so eager to kill it.
BUT CAPITALISM IS AWESOME, LET THE MARKET DECIDE. Ok, well, the market seems to be deciding that family farms are not the way to go anymore, judging from this and many other things I've read over the years. BUT DON'T LET IT DECIDE ABOUT FARMERS. Why not let it decide about farmers? The government bails out agriculture in a way it doesn't bail out many other industries (and yes, ag is arguably different from many, but it's still an industry) and maybe we should start to close that welfare line. I hear the MAGA crowd hates welfare. Sure, a lot of that bailout goes to big ag operations, not small ones, (so corporate welfare) but I can look around my small rural county and point out many family farms that have gotten government money for crop failure, hell, sometimes farmers are even paid NOT to grow something, if you can believe that. (That's a thing, though it escapes me what it's called right now.)
BUT WHAT WILL WE EAT? Well, if you are willing to eat less meat, there's actually plenty of food. More than enough. We waste a shit ton of food every day and more of us are obese than should be, with the associated diabetes and heart issues. Also, you'd be surprised how much of that "food" these farmers are raising is actually going to feed animals. So, eat less animals, grow less food. Boom, problem solved. And I'm not even a vegetarian, but dietitians seem pretty clear that most of us can stand to eat less meat.
BUT EXPORTS! Hey, that's cool. Export all you want. But America first, right? And America's economy doesn't seem to want to support this model. So if you could really export and make the business work, you'd be paying the bills, amirite? Sure, Trump's fucking with China these days, and that seems to be making your business model hurt, but you love him, and you're going to vote for him again, so I don't really see the problem here, either.
SINCE I CAN'T LIVE EXACTLY LIKE MY GRANDPARENTS DID ON THIS FARM I'M GOING TO KILL MYSELF AND LEAVE MY WIFE TO DEAL WITH THE MESS. Ok, but that sounds mighty snowflakey, and I thought you hated those?
Sigh. I do not mean to make fun of suicide, suicide is awful. I don't want anyone to try it. But the cognitive dissonance that I'm feeling reading "their side" of things and knowing how "they" have treated me, a godless member of the mainstream media (I was never anything of the sort, but why quibble over the fine points now) is just really warping my brain right now. I hope these folks find help, and I hope they live to be 100 on their land which they farm to good return. Is it too much to also ask that they learn some deeper self reflection when they deal with me, or vote, or whatever?
One less caveat, and I'll stop this stream of conscience ramble: There is absolutely nothing in this article that I can remember reading that says anything about where these poor farmers stand in their politics. I'm basing all of my judgments on my knowledge of local farmer politics, which are heavily MAGA, "we stand with big pork/chicken." and "pledge allegiance to the flag loudly in public or you're a godless communist." Being surrounded by this all of the time has been very wearing since Trump took office and more folks started saying the quiet parts out loud all the time. Please keep the liberals who live in deep MAGA territory in your thoughts, we are not well.
https://stories.usatodaynetwork.com/seedsofdespair/
As I'm reading through it, I'm just so confused by what seems to me to be a huge glaring thing, and I'm going to try and work it out here. Feel free to add your thoughts.
All these farmers are losing their farms because, for whatever reason, the farm is no longer profitable. Costs vs profits, natural disasters, climate change maybe, global market trends, politics, all of the above. But the bottom line is that their business model is no longer working. Now, in every other industry I can think of, this is the sign that you find a new business model. Or a new business. The capitalist-loving pro-Trump Real Americans have been very clear about this, and about how our system works perfectly in this manner. I am especially kind of bitter about this because, as a refugee from the newspaper industry, I can't jive the gleeful comments I read about the death of my former industry and way of life (for all people, really) with the OMG OUR FARMERS! attitude that seems perfectly acceptable. Farming is a job and a way of life, fine, I'll accept that. So was my job. It was my life, and if you weren't a reporter, there's a million things you'll never understand about me and how I view the world. Same is probably true for lots of industries. Also, unlike farming, Freedom of the Press is actually in the First Amendment, and I can think of only a few things more American, so I am constantly confused by how a lot of MAGA folks seem so eager to kill it.
BUT CAPITALISM IS AWESOME, LET THE MARKET DECIDE. Ok, well, the market seems to be deciding that family farms are not the way to go anymore, judging from this and many other things I've read over the years. BUT DON'T LET IT DECIDE ABOUT FARMERS. Why not let it decide about farmers? The government bails out agriculture in a way it doesn't bail out many other industries (and yes, ag is arguably different from many, but it's still an industry) and maybe we should start to close that welfare line. I hear the MAGA crowd hates welfare. Sure, a lot of that bailout goes to big ag operations, not small ones, (so corporate welfare) but I can look around my small rural county and point out many family farms that have gotten government money for crop failure, hell, sometimes farmers are even paid NOT to grow something, if you can believe that. (That's a thing, though it escapes me what it's called right now.)
BUT WHAT WILL WE EAT? Well, if you are willing to eat less meat, there's actually plenty of food. More than enough. We waste a shit ton of food every day and more of us are obese than should be, with the associated diabetes and heart issues. Also, you'd be surprised how much of that "food" these farmers are raising is actually going to feed animals. So, eat less animals, grow less food. Boom, problem solved. And I'm not even a vegetarian, but dietitians seem pretty clear that most of us can stand to eat less meat.
BUT EXPORTS! Hey, that's cool. Export all you want. But America first, right? And America's economy doesn't seem to want to support this model. So if you could really export and make the business work, you'd be paying the bills, amirite? Sure, Trump's fucking with China these days, and that seems to be making your business model hurt, but you love him, and you're going to vote for him again, so I don't really see the problem here, either.
SINCE I CAN'T LIVE EXACTLY LIKE MY GRANDPARENTS DID ON THIS FARM I'M GOING TO KILL MYSELF AND LEAVE MY WIFE TO DEAL WITH THE MESS. Ok, but that sounds mighty snowflakey, and I thought you hated those?
Sigh. I do not mean to make fun of suicide, suicide is awful. I don't want anyone to try it. But the cognitive dissonance that I'm feeling reading "their side" of things and knowing how "they" have treated me, a godless member of the mainstream media (I was never anything of the sort, but why quibble over the fine points now) is just really warping my brain right now. I hope these folks find help, and I hope they live to be 100 on their land which they farm to good return. Is it too much to also ask that they learn some deeper self reflection when they deal with me, or vote, or whatever?
One less caveat, and I'll stop this stream of conscience ramble: There is absolutely nothing in this article that I can remember reading that says anything about where these poor farmers stand in their politics. I'm basing all of my judgments on my knowledge of local farmer politics, which are heavily MAGA, "we stand with big pork/chicken." and "pledge allegiance to the flag loudly in public or you're a godless communist." Being surrounded by this all of the time has been very wearing since Trump took office and more folks started saying the quiet parts out loud all the time. Please keep the liberals who live in deep MAGA territory in your thoughts, we are not well.
Last edited: