US taxpayer dollars going to Brazilian cotton farms.

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turbo
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It's bad enough that the US taxpayer has to pay subsidies to cotton farmers in the US - now, to stave off retaliatory tariffs on non-farm goods entering Brazil, we are giving subsidies to Brazilian cotton-growers. What a wonderful idea! :mad:

If you're perplexed, here's the short explanation: We're shoveling our taxpayer dollars to Brazilian farmers to make sure we can keep shoveling our taxpayer dollars to American farmers — which is, after all, the overriding purpose of U.S. agricultural policy. Basically, we're paying off foreigners to let us maintain our ludicrous status quo.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1978963,00.html?xid=feed-yahoo-full-nation-related
 
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Well, that's less wasteful than the agricultural subsidies it backs. If self-flagellation is the only way other nations will let you take a bazooka to your head, we're (apparently) all for it.
 
My thoughts, as well. Why are we paying huge agribusinesses subsidies to grow crops in the first place? ~$150M "protection" money to protect billions in US subsidies? Can you spell waste? Sure, I knew you could. (Thanks, Mr. Rogers)
 
That's about what the EU pays to subidize tobacco farmers!

The funniest one I heard recently was,
Ford import trucks from their plants in europe with throw away extra seats installed.
They remove the seats and bury them in landfill, thus turning a 'bus' into a truck.
Apparently in the 60s Germany protested the US exporting cheap chickens and so the US put a penalty on imported trucks (but not cars/buses).
 
mgb_phys said:
That's about what the EU pays to subidize tobacco farmers!

The funniest one I heard recently was,
Ford import trucks from their plants in europe with throw away extra seats installed.
They remove the seats and bury them in landfill, thus turning a 'bus' into a truck.
Apparently in the 60s Germany protested the US exporting cheap chickens and so the US put a penalty on imported trucks (but not cars/buses).
Oh, man! Is there any sanity left? Are we destined to extinction by corruption and bureaucracy (Vogon syndrome)?
 
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