tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16362348.post112639491666463573..comments2023-10-10T07:56:40.980-07:00Comments on Qwertisms: Fight Poverty - International Day of ActionQwertiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04595705428290721343noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16362348.post-1126914793367597822005-09-16T16:53:00.000-07:002005-09-16T16:53:00.000-07:00My country (New Zealand) has had no subsidies 1985...My country (New Zealand) has had no subsidies 1985ish. We did it so that we would best placed when all countries lower theirs... however no one else did... Apparently the WTO is close to resolving agricultural subsidies (but they have been for several decades now, apparently).<BR/><BR/>The farmers are strong because of democracy - there are a large number of them - subsidies. Also in Japan, it is cultural. Rice is their food. So they will preserve that way of life. <BR/><BR/>It can also potentially kill of the economy of large countrysides. It would make large areas with lower populations unemployed or poor (in the short term).<BR/><BR/>But in the end I think it would be good. Throwing money away for no reason is just dumb. And then sooner you ween farmers of subsidies the sooner new industries can be developed.<BR/><BR/>Then sometimes it is not as simple as it seems:<BR/><BR/>http://www.economist.com/finance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3786899<BR/><BR/>I am not sure what to make of it. I support free trade, but such articles make me wonder.Crypticityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15224633655908680371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16362348.post-1126913472620973452005-09-16T16:31:00.000-07:002005-09-16T16:31:00.000-07:00Ugh. How do the farmers get so much power in the ...Ugh. How do the farmers get so much power in the first world? In the third world, they seem to be treated as the lowest of the low.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, it does seem like a bad idea to drop the subsidy in any one country. For competition to be fair at the international level, ALL countries must drop it. If only a single country drops it, then that country's farmers are at a disadvantage internationally.Qwertiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04595705428290721343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16362348.post-1126912596200000452005-09-16T16:16:00.000-07:002005-09-16T16:16:00.000-07:00Dropping horticultural and agricultural subsidies ...Dropping horticultural and agricultural subsidies is political suicide in many countries. Sad but true.Crypticityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15224633655908680371noreply@blogger.com