Comments on: I don’t buy it, Part II

By: Miss Britt

Miss Britt — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:45:15 +0000

"you dash in a little compassion here, a little protection there" *ahem* That's not pure capitalism then, is it? .-= Miss Britt´s last blog ..Be still, and know that I am God =-.

By: Ren

Ren — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:17:52 +0000

Dave2, I think you're exaggerating the impact that removing the subsidies would have. Grass-fed beef, for example, is priced at a premium, but nothing near the levels you suggest. Are they still benefiting from other subsidies? Possibly, but I seriously doubt it's anywhere near enough to bring the cost to $50 for a burger. Some quick research finds 14 billion burgers eaten per year and $20 billion in farm subsidies. Of course, much of these subsidies do not go toward beef, and much of the beef doesn't go toward burgers. Also, there may be other, non-farm subsidies that are in play -- but there are also government factors raising the prices, including tariffs and taxes.. Even so, this seems like a reasonable starting point -- removing all farm subsidies and laying all of the cost on burgers would increase the price by less than $1.50 per burger. So? Let's do it! Down with subsidies!! .-= Ren´s last blog ..Macro Monday #58 =-.

By: marilyn

marilyn — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:42:56 +0000

I think Dave is right. This is more complex than you're making it, and I don't even mean that to be silly. .-= marilyn´s last blog ..Presents and Five on Friday The Third =-.

By: Sybil Law

Sybil Law — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 00:40:57 +0000

The government definitely screw up pretty much anything, given the money and time, but what Dave2 said is also really accurate: lobbyists and big companies are a major reason why this country is being driven further into BS…
GAH.
This topic is seriously annoying, because I can guarantee you, no one has the perfect answer.

By: Dave2

Dave2 — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 00:49:44 +0000

I am a huge fan of capitalism and a free market, but what we have today doesn't even begin to approach the capitalist ideal. I could give you a bazillion examples and ramble on for pages about how lobbyists, subsidies, and sheer greed have destroyed any hope for an ACTUAL capitalist society in America... but it would be easier to just ask you to rent Food, Inc. and let you see for yourself. Small farmers in this country are not even remotely "loved" by capitalism. On the contrary, our warped and twisted version of capitalism insures that we've re-entered a feudal age with mega-corporations like Tyson and Monsanto destroying free market competition with our own tax dollars. If you want to truly embrace capitalism, insist that our government ends subsidies to the beef industry and see how you like your $50 hamburger. Or demand that subsidies and tax cuts be rescinded from big oil and see how you like paying $18 a gallon for gasoline. Don't worry... the market will sort it out. Maybe that veggie burger will taste a lot better at 1/10th the price of beef! Or perhaps that electric car wouldn't be quite so nerdy when you're not paying $300 a month for gas! Gee... if our tax dollars stop subsidizing all the industries that rape the environment and control the foundations upon which our "capitalistic" society functions, think of how much better off we'd be! REAL capitalism would enter the picture and all those big companies would have to ACTUALLY COMPETE instead of using our own tax dollars against us! Yay capitalism! Except... The United States of America wouldn't survive it. We've been screwed up for so long that REAL capitalism would kill us. The government-intervention "capitalism" is all that's left now. I wish it wasn't, but here we are. So feel free to keep pedaling your pipe-dream fantasy version of "capitalism" that isn't really capitalism at all. I'll just be sitting over here waiting for total anarchy to erupt in the meanwhile. Because if there's one thing we agree on, real change IS coming... but it's probably not the change you think it will be... .-= Dave2´s last blog ..Catholic =-.