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Trump Kills Ag Markets, Wings Proposal to Nationalize Farms

Donald Trump continues his Communist march toward nationalizing America’s farms. After promising $12 billion in welfare checks last year to buy farmers’ votes and distract them from the damage his tariffs are doing to crop prices, Trump now wants to make farmers work for the government to produce food to give away in response to the failure of capitalism:

Trump said on Twitter on Friday that the U.S. will use its money from the tariffs to buy American agricultural products “in larger amounts than China ever did” and send it to “poor & starving countries” for humanitarian aid. The president indicated potential purchases of $15 billion from farmers. Soybean and grain futures held mostly steady after the announcements [Megan Durisin, “President Trump Says U.S. Will Buy American Farmers’ Crops to Offset China Trade Losses,” Time, 2019.05.10].

Trump calls US farmers to join Soviet collective farms.
Join us, comrade, on the collective farm!

Trump is, of course, winging it. As a sign of his spontaneous incoherence, $15 billion more in food aid is larger than the $13.4 billion Trump proposed slashing from the entire foreign affairs budget in his FY2020 budget proposal just two months ago.

It’s also astronomically more than we spend on international food aid right now. Food for Peace, which George McGovern made into one of the “most spectacular achievements of the young Kennedy administration,” provided $3.6 billion in food aid to 53 countries in FY2017. Quintupling the amount of U.S. commodities dumped overseas could disrupt local production and global markets. Besides, Trump can’t even get food aid to Puerto Rico, our own territory; how does he think he’s going to send five times as much food to far-flung countries for which he has shown nothing but disdain?

Farmers, of course, are unimpressed by Trump’s farm-nationalization plan. One Minnesota farmer/lobbyist says Trump’s destructive ag policies are literally killing farmers:

“Here’s a handout to make you happy? That doesn’t make us happy. We want our markets back,” Bill Gordon, a fourth-generation farmer in Worthington, Minnesota, who is also vice-president of the American Soybean Association, said in a telephone interview.

…“It took us 40 years to build these markets … and while no trade deal is perfect, for the most part the agriculture trade with China was on the up and up, or mutually beneficial,” he added.

…“Today, If I plant soybeans, I’m guaranteed to lose US$65,000 on this planting. I have to find somewhere else that money just to get me back to zero.”

“That is the real hurt right now. The markets are so low, we cannot even break even to pay our bills. Farmers are losing their farms every day. The suicide rate among farmers is at an all-time high,” Gordon added [Daniel Bases, “Donald Trump’s Plan to Buy US$15 Billion of Crops for Humanitarian Aid Does Not Thrill Farmers,” South China Morning Post, 2019.05.11].

Raise taxes on Americans, transfer those revenues to the farmers he’s bankrupting, stockpile crops in government warehouses, and dump those crops in poor countries and cause destructive grain gluts—Trump’s policy-improv is Communism at every turn. If our Congressional delegation had any spine, they would propose and pass a better, entirely capitalist plan that is entirely within their power to implement: repeal the tariffs and let American farmers return fully to the global market as independent businesspeople, not wards of the state.

61 Comments

  1. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2019-05-12 10:08

    Funny, Mike: I don’t understand how Trump can say the Chinese were “being so badly in the recent negotiation”—no one is beaten in a negotiation until the deal comes out and they come out on the losing end. Trump appears to be getting beaten: he’s not getting what he wants, and he’s having to use his vaunted tariff revenues (i.e., increased taxes from American consumers) to pay off the farmers who are being driven out of business and to suicide by his reckless policies. If that’s the Chinese being beaten, I’d hate to see them winning.

  2. T. Camp 2019-05-12 10:09

    This sounds like a strong Progressive and compassionate plan. The government purchasing surpless farm products (lord knows we have ample surplus of food) and sends this food to the starving people of the world. This benefits American farmers caught in the trade conflict between the USA and China. We also feed starving people. It’s a win/win. I fully understand why TRump haters hate this plan however, the plan fits squarely into our New Democratic Socialist ideals party platform and we should support it.

  3. o 2019-05-12 10:21

    T. Camp, when the President “off-the-cuffs” a “solution,” is often focuses on his unique lack of understanding of the issue at hand. Supplying the food to starving countries only begins wit securing the food to give; then there is the entire distribution network to deal with. Stories about food rotting on the docks come to mind when these sell-intentioned but poorly implemented plans had been enacted in the past.

    Moreover, this is the newest in the shoot-from-the-hip leadership that does not look more than a single move ahead in the checkers game he has created of U.S. foreign and domestic policy. But for the Trump faithful, ANY solution that comes from this President is heralded and propped up (like T. Camp does) until another news cycle allows the next bumbled decision or Constitutional crisis to get its own 24-hour news cycle to clear the board of collective memory.

  4. o 2019-05-12 11:42

    I just saw Chuck Grassley speaking on the farm commodity trade war. The report made it clear that the new trade wars are hurting farmers; Grassley said that until he hears from farmers that supported Trump that they now are no longer supporting Trump, there is no reason to change the course of this policy.

    Clearly this is an issue of who serves whom: at this point farmers are supporting (and willing to suffer f0r) the President’s trade war. That it hurts them is ON them because they are not making it clear that this issue of of enough importance to cause them to shift their political support. Farmers serve at the pleasure of the President.

  5. bearcreekbat 2019-05-12 11:57

    Reading the comments from T.Camp on recent threads brings to mind the lessons from a character in Twilight Zone’s “He’s Alive” on how to dupe the rubes. In this case perhaps T.Camp seeks to create an identity as a member of the progessive “mob” by describing Trump’s new farmer con as part of:

    . . . our New Democratic Socialist ideals party platform and we should support it

    In “He’s Alive” someone who seeks to persuade (or possibly gaslight) an audience is advised to declare himself as a member of the target group:

    How do you move a mob. . . ? How do you excite them? How do you make them feel as one with you? . . . join them first. Join them, yes. When you speak to them, speak to them as if you were a member of the mob. Speak to them in their language, on their level. . . .

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUKzPphbhcs

  6. El Rayo X 2019-05-12 12:00

    Will the starving people in North Korea, Yemen, Syria and Venezuela be on the receiving end of this aid?

  7. mike from iowa 2019-05-12 12:36

    Drumpf wants to buy from American farmers and give to poor countries who would buy from American farmers and other countries, thus driving down demand and prices. Sounds exactly like what a wingnut would do without thinking through to the logical conclusion.

    T Camp is sounding suspiciously like OldSferbrains w/o the whining. Can’t wait for the, “You’re gonna lose if you don’t listen to me.”

  8. T. Camp 2019-05-12 13:17

    Bearcreekbat: Thank you for the response. I am a neo-progressive and rail against the corporate cronies and entrenched corrupt political class intent to do harm people true Democrats represent.
    My post aimed at those who beat the drum and support socialism, one of the three proven economic, social and political failures which will again harm the American working class. The TRump proposal is pure Democratic Socialism (a term coined by Lenin in his thesis “What is to be done,” so I posted this in the form of a scholarly tongue in cheek exercise to engage a deeper thought process.
    Regrets if you did not grasp the significance. Nevertheless, thanks for the reply.

  9. Loren 2019-05-12 14:16

    U. Penn and Wharton must be very proud of the fact that they are now seen as passing out diplomas like Shriners at a parade toss candy. Evidently, one doesn’t have to demonstrate any kind of real world understanding to get one. Certainly “Individual #1” is questionable.

  10. Porter Lansing 2019-05-12 14:24

    Agreed, BCB. It’s a common tactic by false influencers to claim to be of a group but then to promote things wholly foreign to that group in order to “influence”. When called out, as you did, they quickly claim “tongue in cheek exercise” as an excuse for their deceit.
    Eyes on you T. Camp.

  11. jerry 2019-05-12 14:32

    Farmers are willing to stick with trump, there is no doubt about that. The gig economy will continue on..until it flops. Hope that the check is more than the $25.00 bucks that most got for their crops. On disaster aid, trump and the South Dakota delegation now say that FEMA stands for “Fix Everything, My Arse”, you’re on your own boys, suck it up.

    Good news though, we probably will increase our target areas for new war plans, so we got that going for us. When all else fails, do the republican thing, bomb the hell out out of some poor people.

  12. jerry 2019-05-12 14:39

    Chris Wallace from Fox News, in an interview with busted cocaine user, Larry Kudlow. That Larry Kudlow who is one of republican trade negotiator’s.

    “Wallace: It’s not China that pays tariffs. It’s the American importers, the American companies that pay what is, in effect, a tax increase, and oftentimes passes it on to U.S. consumers.
    Kudlow: Fair enough. In fact, both sides will pay. Both sides will pay in these things.
    Wallace: But the tariffs on goods coming into the country, the Chinese aren’t paying.
    Kudlow: No but the Chinese will suffer GDP losses and so forth, with respect to a diminishing export market and goods that they may need…
    Wallace: I understand that. But the President says that China pays the tariffs. They may suffer consequences, but it’s U.S. businesses and U.S. consumers who pay, correct?
    Kudlow: Yes, to some extent. I don’t disagree with that. Again, both sides will suffer on this.”

    When you read this, you know full well that we continue to be defeated by the republican party. They gotta go man, they’ve gotta go.

  13. Porter Lansing 2019-05-12 14:46

    A lesson that Trump didn’t learn from Vietnam (How could he?). America will never wait out China. China will stave every last person in their country before they give in to America and Trump specifically. Try working with them. It’s the only path to regain the markets.

  14. bearcreekbat 2019-05-12 15:09

    T. Camp, no hay de qué.

    It always seems a bit curious just why a commenter might choose to publicly self-identify as a “neo-progressive” in a somewhat transparent effort create an irrelevant image when posting a comment, rather than simply rely on the content of the comment to support a position. The “He Lives” explanation is always worth consideration.

  15. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2019-05-12 15:14

    Terry Camp, I’m already bored with your constant branding of every issue as having something to do with your professed neo-whateverism. Do you really need to shoehorn every topic into your preferred talking points? You remind me of the high school extempers who don’t do much research and thus have to twist every question into the same outline, from trite intro analogy to same three main points to recycled conclusion.

    So let’s talk less about your agenda, Terry, and let’s talk about what’s actually happening.

    Trump is proposing a plan (and, as O notes, we use the word “plan” lightly when speaking of anything Trump says) that can’t be launched in time to save farmers who are going broke (or, as our friend from Worthington warns, committing suicide) right now, exceeds any practical logistical capacity demonstrated so far by the Trump Administration on far simpler domestic disaster response, is generally recognized as doing more harm than good to local producers, erases any of the supposed budget benefit that Trump claims from tariff/tax revenues, and goes against the market access that farmers say they want and that the Republican platform promised them.

    Farmers have multiple reasons not to support this plan. Farmers should recognize this plan as another reason not to support the man proposing it.

  16. Moses6 2019-05-12 15:34

    Amazing out three congress people go along with this guy.Party before country.Do they still have a soul.

  17. T. Camp 2019-05-12 16:27

    My plan Cory? I have no idea why you are so vexed.
    This is a pure socialist plan, a Democrat Socialist plan proposed by some of our front runners. Not my plan at all.
    As a neo- progressive I oppose Feudalism, Socialism and Communism. These are three economic, social and political systems that have harmed people historically. We, neo-progressives, progressives and liberals of all bents must support those proven economic plans that are good and work for ‘the people’.
    Not a bad plan.

  18. Moses6 2019-05-12 17:45

    Farmers don’t care about price in South Dakota .Beans could go to a buck a bushel and they still would vote for Trump>Party over country thats the new deal .Bail outs for farms.

  19. Old Spec.5 2019-05-12 18:25

    I see Kudlow is getting porky size. Fat city in DC Time for him to get back on the nose candy. He would make as much sense

  20. Rachel 2019-05-12 19:00

    Socialism, communism, democracy manifest themselves differently. I’m so tired of hearing Pubs using Socialism in a negative context. What do they think Trump’s current proposal is? Trump and his minions tried to push through unreasonable tariffs on China. Trump the “great negotiator” failed to find a compromise. I’m totally fine with paying taxes on the produce I buy. I’m not fine with paying for Trump screwing over farmers and then expecting us to pay more for his inepitude.

  21. Debbo 2019-05-12 19:49

    As Blindman said on the Sutton Institute post, this may be the best opportunity for SD’s non-GOP candidates and voters in a long time. There’s Bloviating Bigot’s inept and destructive market meddling on top of Klepto Kristi’s hemp veto, 2 devastating actions that hit farmers in the wallet and heart. (Suicides) You might want to read Blindman’s comment fmi.

    By the time autumn rolls around and bills begin coming due, some farmers will become desperate. I speak from personal experience.

    My father, a small farmer, often struggled with depression and it the 1980s hit bottom. The ag mess is well documented. Dad became severely, dangerously depressed. The atmosphere of the home was grim. Dad never smiled, trod heavily, had no resilience, no energy. Mom and I were afraid he would suicide as others did in the mid 80s. We checked the gun rack regularly to make sure they were there. Dad had never been a drinker, but he began going to the bar in town nearly every night.

    When they sold out all 6 of us children came to help prepare for a give witness to our farm sale.

    That’s not something one ever forgets. Plenty of allegiances of all types changed in those years. I expect a recurrence. SDans are going to need Democrats with heart, which is most of them. The SDGOP leadership sure doesn’t have any.

  22. jerry 2019-05-13 04:08

    The republican trump sent out 72 tweets this weekend, he is an broke idiot if he thinks China is gonna become his boy.

    “Trump doesn’t get any of this. This is an explanation of a complex topic that a lay person can understand, but Trump isn’t even that — because he thinks he knows. He is the walking personification of the Dunning-Kruger principal. Dunning-Kruger is a cognitive bias whereby low ability people “do not possess the skills necessary to recognize their own incompetence.” That encapsulates Trump better than any other definition that you will ever read. You might want to print this page out and tack it to the wall for future reference.

    In the meantime, relations with China are going to hell on the proverbial bobsled and here’s the tragedy: once these markets are gone, the chances of us ever getting them back are slim to none. The damage that this buffoon has done will haunt us and cripple us for many years to come. He must be defeated in 2020 before more irreparable damage is done and the America we know ceases to exist.”

  23. o 2019-05-13 08:51

    Debbo, your heartbreaking family story hits home with me. Still it begs the question: in 2020, is the farm belt willing to break its ties with Trump and the GOP the way the rust belt did in 2016 (with Clinton and Democrats) to swing national elections?

  24. Nick Nemec 2019-05-13 09:46

    o, I’m a farmer and am around farmers everyday. I see no evidence that any of them even correlate Trump’s tariffs and the resulting China trade war with lower prices. Most of my co-agriculturists are clueless.

    But they are worried about losing their guns and babies being aborted.

  25. mike from iowa 2019-05-13 10:32

    China has retaliated and raised tariffs on 60 billion bucks of stuff sent to America which includes..
    The duties in large part target U.S. farmers, who largely supported Trump in 2016 but suffered from previous shots in the Trump administration’s trade war with China. The thousands of products include peanuts, sugar, wheat, chicken and turkey.

    If that don’t make farmers stand up and praise Drumpf, I don’t know what they are thinking!

  26. mike from iowa 2019-05-13 10:33

    I meant duties on stuff from America.

  27. mike from iowa 2019-05-13 10:34

    Must be Monday. Stock indexes dropped 2% on the news.

  28. o 2019-05-13 10:46

    Again, following the ledger sheet of this: $15B is to be spent by the fed for farm relief; President Trump says that the Chinese are paying tariff taxes to the US treasury, but that has been debunked, so the funding comes from US revenues reduced by the last round of tax cuts. Put less money in; take more money out. Somehow the Trump administration has figured out how to raise taxes (US consumers paying the US-imposed Chinese tariff fees $43.1B) AND reduce federal revenues ($113B) AND increase spending ($15B): that’s how “a successful businessman” builds a budget.

  29. o 2019-05-13 12:06

    Well, Trump is nothing if not on-brand: China will pay the tariffs and Mexico will pay for the wall.

  30. Porter Lansing 2019-05-13 12:14

    Good one, o. #grins

  31. Robin Friday 2019-05-13 13:50

    The reality is that market prices for beans go down significantly every day, old crop and new crop, and we still have some old crop in storage which we continue to pay for, and prices for which, as I said, continue to plummet because of Trump’s pretending that he knows what he’s doing from his ivory tower in NYC mentality. How can this be nirvana for anyone. And no, we didn’t vote for him and we never would.

    All the “help for farmers” that Trump can blather about is never going to cover the losses we’ve sustained at his hands, and we know that. Farmers are entrepreneurs and PRODUCERS who want to produce what America and the world needs, and be paid a fair price for their product and their effort, just like other producers.

    Don’t put farmers in one basket and say “farmers are this way” and “farmers act this way” and “farmers believe this” and then pretend you know what you’re talking about. Don’t put farmers all in one basket. That’s just stereotyping. Trump is killing us. Get rid of him and Kudlow and his cohorts.

  32. jerry 2019-05-13 15:16

    Wonder how well set the rural bankers are in all of this, do they have the reserves to cover these losses year in and year out? Anyone remember the farm crisis of 1987? Willie Nelson is getting old man, how many more years of the Farm Aid is he gonna be able to hang in there for when farmers could care less from what I can see.

  33. jerry 2019-05-13 15:38

    Transcript from mfi’s great link. Proves beyond a doubt that farmers will go down with the trump ship, the Minnow.

    NORAH O’DONNELL: Senator, I want to ask you about the trade negotiations that are going on right now. There was just recently a University of Arkansas study, from your home state, that said retaliatory tariffs by China could end up hurting many farmers in your state. Is President Trump hurting the Americans that he promised to help?

    TOM COTTON: So, these tariffs are gonna end up hurting both the Chinese and some Americans, I’ll grant you that. I think they’ll ultimately hurt the Chinese more than they will Americans, in part because Chinese companies and their government have been cheating the United States for so long. There will be some sacrifice on the part of Americans, I grant you that. But, I also would say that sacrifice is pretty minimal compared to the sacrifices that our soldiers make overseas, that our fallen heroes who are laid to rest in Arlington make, and are right about sacred duty.

    GAYLE KING: Well, you can’t compare those two sacrifices. …

    TOM COTTON: When I’m home in Arkansas, I hear from farmers who are worried about opening up new markets and getting their products to market. But, they also understand that China is a serious competitor to the United States and wants to displace us around the world. And they look at the sacrifices that soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines make around the world and they are willing to bear some of the sacrifices in the short term, to hopefully in the long term ensure our long term prosperity and security.

    JOHN DICKERSON: Why not tell them that on the front end? Why not tell them this sacrifice and the higher prices your going to have to pay are a part of this conflict as opposed to saying what’s not true, which is that China’s going to pay these tariffs to the treasury?

    TOM COTTON: Well, China will ultimately be paying a price for these because Americans may be shifting their consumption or their investment decisions away from Chinese products that have oftentimes been dumped in the United States. You know we have Arkansans who are benefiting from these tariffs as well. You know, in eastern Arkansas we have one of the largest steel production areas now in the country. They obviously are doing very well. Again, I’m not going to say that no one is going to make a sacrifice, but in the long term that effort is to make sure the United States remains pre-eminent as a global superpower both in the economic and the security.”

    China is not our economic problem, republicans are.

  34. Debbo 2019-05-13 15:56

    What is Cotton’s sacrifice? Or Bloviating Bigot’s? Or anyone in the GOP who is not a real farmer? Comparing farmers and military is just stupid.

    My parents were staunch Democrats. A few of the neighbors were, but most were not. I’m talking 1960s-80s.

  35. Debbo 2019-05-13 21:19

    This short summary came from Axios, though the full story is in Farm Journal:

    “Farm Delays

    “Thus far only 23 percent of U.S. corn acres are planted at a time when over the past five years and an average of 46 percent of acres were planted. The delays are due to heavy rains in the area, and some places are in a particularly dire situation: for instance, Illinois has only 10 percent of acres planted compared to a 66 percent five-year average at this time and Minnesota has only 6 percent of acres planted compared to 42 percent typically. One complication for farmers is that they can’t just switch to soybean as they could in previous years due to low prices stemming from the trade disputes with China.”

    Sonja Begemann, Farm Journal

  36. jerry 2019-05-14 02:31

    Farmers are wealthy, they don’t need no taxpayer subsidies, they’re doing just fine and dandy…according to republicans.

    “The plight of American farmers always makes for good copy, even when the facts don’t match the rhetoric. And when Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue as well as media reports suggest that farmers are about to face a financial crisis, based on cherry-picked data, farm interest groups rush to Congress to ask for more subsidies, on top of the $20 billion a year already being given to crop growers.

    If the debate over the 2018 farm bill is any guide, farm interest groups today are quite comfortable using similarly hyped information about farm bankruptcies to support their pro-subsidies arguments. Indeed, groups representing corn, soybeans, wheat, pulses and cotton growers have all complained of inadequate subsidies in recent months. A broader look at the data, however, show farmers aren’t facing a crisis, and there is no obvious need for taxpayers to give them more subsidies.” https://www.marketwatch.com/story/theres-no-looming-farm-crisis-so-theres-no-reason-to-even-consider-more-subsidies-2019-02-26

    According to this article, farmers need to pay more taxes. Start with state income taxes and have them stop belly aching. For the time being, farmers, pay your tariffs to your daddy. So what if farm equipment is more expensive, you all should have the loot stashed from the good years of Obama to more than offset what your daddy is doing.

  37. Debbo 2019-05-14 15:34

    People in the WH expect Desperate Dotard’s trade war to last through this year and the Chinese to retaliate against US farmers, among others.

    A former aide said, “There’s little point trying to persuade Trump otherwise, because his belief in tariffs is ‘like theology.’ ”

    is.gd/vdo19q

  38. Debbo 2019-05-14 15:56

    At least there’s some bite on Desperate Dotard’s own ass. From Axios:

    “Trump Tower, once the crown jewel in Donald Trump’s property empire, now ranks as one of the least desirable luxury properties in Manhattan,” writes Bloomberg’s Shahien Nasiripour.

    “Most condo sales [in the past two years] have led to a loss after adjusting for inflation … Several sold at more than a 20% loss.”
    “The commercial portion of the building has been struggling for months to find tenants … despite advertising rents well below the area’s average.”

    Bwahahahahaha!!! 😆😆😆😆😆😆😆

  39. jerry 2019-05-14 16:20

    Not according to Market Watch there is no farm crisis. I think if there were a farm crisis, farmers would be leading the charge to demand change. I don’t see that. There are a couple of voices like you point out mfi, but we can see by the elections that the farmer is pretty happy with the way things are.

  40. mike from iowa 2019-05-15 17:32

    Farmers and Ranchers, remember how Drumpf promised you COOL (country of origin labeling) to make your products worth more. Guess what COOL is not garnering a single word mention in new Nafta? Go ahead and guess.

    Makes you feel all betrayed and foolish inside, donut?

  41. jerry 2019-05-16 14:17

    How will the $20 BILLION DOLLAR bribe in addition to the $12 BILLION DOLLAR BRIBE be counted on farmers taxes? Will this be like a 1099 for Social Security and Medicare reporting?

  42. mike from iowa 2019-05-18 14:40

    Drumpf will be meeting Irish PM (maybe) in Ireland at Drumpf’s golf course so he can profit from his trip.

    Foolish, foolish Irish had the idea they invited Drumpf they get to set the venue.

  43. jerry 2019-05-21 15:07

    trump kills Dressbarn in Rapid City and Sioux Falls. Is there anything a republican touches that doesn’t turn to manure? “Dressbarn is going out of business and will close hundreds of stores in the United States, threatening nearly 7,000 jobs, its parent company said.

    Ascena Retail Group, which also owns brands Ann Taylor, Lane Bryant and Catherines, said Tuesday the closures amount to about 650 stories in the budget women’s clothing chain.”https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2019/05/21/Dressbarn-going-out-of-business-650-US-stores-to-close/9111558440278/

    Tariffs work great!

  44. jerry 2019-05-21 15:15

    Nationalize the car industry as well. 2,300 American white collar workers, will lose their jobs with Ford. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/20/ford-to-cut-7000-jobs-by-august-including-900-this-week.html

    Is anyone else tire of the wining? BTW, when is infrastructure week? When will Rounds and Thune come in with the new republican health plan that will save us thousands and will do more than Obamacare? All lies from the biggest liars that ever existed.

  45. o 2019-05-21 15:42

    Jerry, will those payments be on top of the Prevented Planning Insurance payments? Remind me why farmers hate the federal government again?

  46. Debbo 2019-05-21 15:58

    [I published this comment elsewhere, but it’s probably better suited here.]

    If the SDGOP really had the best interests of South Dakotans in mind, they’d be addressing this ASAP:

    By 2040 . . . . . .

    “The vast majority of the U.S. population (87%) will live in urban areas, according to UN projections.

    “The nation’s cities will likely continue to accumulate all the power, technology and wealth, while rural areas fall behind.”

    The numbers may not be exact, but overall, that’s a current trend with signs only of accelerating. Making such a beautiful state into one large, stinking, putrid feedlot, except for Dakota Dunes, of course, is a travesty, not an answer.

  47. jerry 2019-05-21 16:11

    o, of course. This is the biggest gravy train ever. Ask a farmer if they are republican? Then ask them if they loves them some trump. Yes and you betcha will be the answer. If farmers were in such a bad way, don’t you think they would be saying something other than where’s my check?

  48. Debbo 2019-06-04 23:36

    “Farmer confidence about the wisdom of investing in operations, future value of farmland and strength of the farm economy is plummeting, a monthly survey released Tuesday showed.

    “The latest Ag Economy Baro-meter survey of Purdue University, conducted in mid-May before the latest federal bailout of farmers was announced, showed its lowest reading since October 2016.”

    It’s not like any of this surprises those of us with a brain, which is why Wilted Weenie didn’t know any better, or care either.

    The article is in the Strib. http://strib.mn/2Z91bAi

    “Some 55% of farmers surveyed by Purdue said they expect their wealth to decline in the next 12 months, compared to 35% a year ago.

    “Farmers’ expectations that they will make large capital investments in their farms hit their lowest reading since the survey’s inception in 2015.

    “Farmland values have been resilient despite farmers’ struggles, but farmer confidence in the future value of their land is deteriorating.

    “Thirty percent of farmers surveyed said they expect farmland prices to drop in the next 12 months, a share that has been ticking up over the past five months.

    COptimism about the trade war with China is dissipating as well. As recently as March, 45% thought the soybean trade dispute would be settled by July 1. That number dropped to 20% in May.”

  49. jerry 2019-06-05 17:00

    trump and his republicans, are killing the economy. The latest regarding small businesses 1-49 employees ain’t good.

    “mall businesses in the US reduced employment at the fastest rate since 2010, when the economy still was in recession, according to the May employment survey of Automatic Data Processing released on Wednesday.

    ADP manages payrolls for 625,000 companies. Overall, the US economy added just 27,000 jobs during the month, the lowest count since 2010. The government’s payrolls report will come out on Friday, and may not capture the same data. The official report is skewed towards larger employers. The shocker in the ADP report was the 52,000 decline in employment at firms with 1-49 workers.” Pretty weak sauce add the factor’s in on real small farmers and you get the idea that recession and a big one is heading down the pike. When Wall Street can only gain on the losing factor of cutting interest rates to zero, you know we are in deep crap and are still digging.

  50. mike from iowa 2019-06-07 09:54

    Drumpf is a natural for Star Trek… boldly going where no sane, sober American Potus has ever dreamed of going.

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