Sallie James Attacks Ag Subsidies on CNBC

[webfulcrum]

IF we need them so badly (farming), then they would have no trouble surviving without my tax dollars.

[heyzeusful]

♥ ❤ Sallie James ♥ ❤

[rbairos1]

If money weren't collected by force, nobody could be bothered to grow + sell food, to ..you know live.

That makes perfect sense.

[AroundSun]

I wanna do her

[WalridgeWalrus]

I don't think David was captain of the debate team in high school. He thinks he can dismiss James' argument because Cato receives money from companies that will benefit from eliminating subsidies. You can't argue in favor of something that will benefit you. So I guess it's a good thing David doesn't benefit from subsidies. Oh wait! He does. What a jackass

[warrush]

@WalridgeWalrus Agreed, instead of arguing his case he decides to slander a non-for-profit institute, which in the end says a lot about his position if he can't even make a decent counter-argument. Someone should of told him that ad hominems are for 12 year olds.

[EyeAmTheIlluminati]

A rational, intelligent woman? Maybe I need to move to Australia to find a Sallie James type

[EdgeMugga]

I am reminded of my favorite Johny Carson Tonight Show program when the best farmer in the country was his guest. Carson asked him about subsidies and taking government advice. The farmer said, he listens very carefully to their offers, the requirements they have to live with if they take the subsidies, and the advice they give generally. Then I decline the subsidies and do the exact opposite of what they advise. That's the secret of my success.

[DyeTyme]

Sallie James is a smart and good looking gal.

[trev0104]

What I was disappointed to not hear mentioned is the fact that without these farm subsidies, which cost the taxpayer around 3 cents per meal and make up only one fourth of one percent of the federal budget, food prices will go up. This is because many farmers have to have the farm safety next to help absolve risk so they can continue to produce. Without it they would go find other jobs, production would decrease and prices would spiral upward. Farm programs are not the cause of the deficit!!

[stone2016]

@trev0104 Why don't farmers charge an extra 3 cents per meal for their products and save it for tough times. That's what I do in my business. Part of the price I charge includes costs for proposals I've lost on and to keep us going if I have a leaner times. The idea is that governments is NOT the solution, the market is. Farmers instead like to put everything they have into a season to maximize profits because of their safety net. Trust me, it's to max PROFITS not generous production.

[strabes88]

@trev0104 That would only happen if all of the import tariffs weren't also eliminated, so the rest of us could buy our corn, rice, beans, wheat, etc on the world market. The farmer said it himself: he can't compete against foreign producers without government subsidies. That means that foreign prices are lower.

[Akatam0t0ma]

LOL@"fair trade". The only "fair trade" is a trade where there is a voluntary exchange of goods and services WITHOUT a coercive third party meddling in favor of either side. Tools like this farmer is among the reasons why America is in such deep shit.

*sigh*

[Akatam0t0ma]

Another awesome slam-dunk from the CATO Institute.

[robertoray1277]

If it weren't for these programs, our foods wouldn't all be full of high-fructose corn syrup.

[lllraverslll]

with all the chemtrailing they might never get the weather again

[lllraverslll]

yep that sure as shit does not sound like a farmer talking.



[a4finger]

Sallie is right, and the Cato institute is awesome

[briand787b]

why does the australian accent completely ruin hot bitches like her

[claytongault]

That discussion sure turned a bit surreal during the last minute or so.

[picapauengracado]

Shouldn't the host of a business channel be a little more savvy in finance. I mean, just because you need an insurance scheme for risky businesses doesn't mean the government is the ideal agency to provide it. More likely than not, such agency will be turned against the taxpayers.

[selfrealizedexile]

@picapauengracado

That guy is one of the dumber ones CNBC has. Look up debates between him and Schiff.

[Buffalo122333]

Before the U.S. government encouraged farmers to switch to hybrid seeds farmers would save seeds to plant next year, and gains were mixed so if it was a dry year one grain did well, if it was a wet year a different grain did well.

If farmers switched back to unhybridized seed they would make less money but wouldn't have to borrow to buy seed and be on the edge of losing their farms every year.

[pdqbach55]

@Buffalo122333 do you farm?  In what text book does it explain the planting of "mixed" seeds? Non-transgenic seeds were selected for their traits, like ability to adapt to hot climate, or lack of rainfall, or disease resistance or resistance against pests. Transgenic seeds are also selected for their superior ability over other seeds.

A switch to open pollinated varieties would be a precursor to disaster in the extreme magnitude.

[UnderseaCaveman]

she's hot......and cool!

[pdqbach55]

@ConservativeMBA Sallie's numbers are incorrect. The annual cost is 10 billion per year since 2008. Annual cost was 32 billion in 2000, a 2/3 reduction in cost, annually.

[pdqbach55]

(continued from previous post)... School lunch programs are funded by the Ag budget in the USDA. So are meals for the elderly, meals on wheels, welfare food aid programs, etc.. So, go ahead, make your day and cut the budget, but be aware of the consequences. These items dwarfs direct farm program payments by many billions of dollars. BTW, did you note the fact listed in the video that this "outrageous" payment amounts to $ .03 per meal? Packaging costs more than that.

[pdqbach55]

@freesk8, I won't argue about the Fed, program payments are less than one tenth of one percent of the Federal budget. One can hardly squeeze juice from a dried turnip. Since 2000, ag programs have been reduced from 32 billion to barely 10 billion per year. Ask yourself which other federal line item that's been reduced by that margin. If this cut had been uniformly applied across the board, we'd have a budget surplus today. By the way, if you have kids in school, you are receiving a subsidy.

[Lukelang21]

Sallie James is SExyyy....

[LibertarianINT]

This farmer isn't intelligent in the least.

[pdqbach55]

Let's hope those who agree with CATO and Sallie aren't talking with their mouths full. Can you imagine spending more than 50% of income on food, instead of the 10%?

[freesk8]

@pdqbach55 Food price inflation has been caused by the Federal Reserve, not by free market advocates. Subsidies hurt the economy, and a slowed economy hurts jobs for the poor.

[emangi1]

Well I'm Australian and in the prolonged drought, farmers have sunk into depression and some have even committed suicide and our agricultural sector is being bought up by Chinese and Mid-East conglomerates. Too many comments think that a farmer can change his job easier than a pair of underpants. I am a subscriber to CATO and believe in the free markets but farming is probably one of the most demanding jobs out there and there isn't a level playing field as far as competition goes...

[emangi1]

@emangi1 ...then again, I admit I'm not aware of the USA's situation so I can only speak to the situation here at home.

[truthadvocate]

If they want a safety net let them purchase insurance or switch to a less risky profession.

Subsidies are unfair and a clear example of injustice.

Excellent job, Sallie James!

[pdqbach55]

@truthadvocate If you believe this is unjust, then you would have no reservations shutting down GM, would you not? Who would care whether or not a million people would be out of work when GM and their suppliers went down? Let's take them bleeding heart leeches down, yeah?  We both know the answer to that question, don't you think?

[truthadvocate]

@pdqbach55,

When you steal money from hundreds of millions of people to keep bad business models alive, you end up lowering the quality of life for people in general while giving special privilege to GM workers at the expense of everyone else. Businesses fail every day. When they do, resources are reallocated, more successful businesses models replace money pits, & workers find more productive jobs like adults, instead of demanding other people's money like spoiled children.

[throwntomato]

@truthadvocate amen, brother! brilliant statement!

[TreachMarkets]

In other news, the horse whip buggy market has experienced 100 years of unfortunate, unfair competition and desperately need subsidies to protect this important industry! ;-)

[sniper6081]

Hey Cleavinger, if you can't handle the job you should find a new line of work. I don't want you getting my money because you suck at being a farmer.

[0cyris]

Who's funding CATO? checkout National Association of Wheat Growers>About Us>Associate Sponsors. They've got all of Big Agra right there with the evil emperor Monsanto right that the freaking top.

[LibertarianINT]

@0cyris You're separating reality from your nonsense. If a child predator donates to a candidate and they call for stricter laws on child predators, what's the conflict of interest? You're not thinking clearly at how insignificant that is. It's not like they're out there calling for bigger subsidies. And people like you who bash Monsanto who help feed and pay millions of poor people are sick. You don't do any better. Monsanto pays more then their country average.

[tmac9938]

@LibertarianINT wow. the last thing you want to be doing as a libertarian is backing up monsanto... jesus. monsanto is the epitome of government interference.

[LibertarianINT]

@tmac9938 I'm not backing Monsanto as much as I'm telling the guy he's not this great moral authority.

[0cyris]

@LibertarianINT You've completely missed my point, if his argument about CATO's funding was to hold any water then simply looking at his own funding reveals the exact same thing he bawked at CATO for. This proves his argument to be self defeating though I did choose to present it in a rather cantankerous light.

My one question is why did you end with an argument from utilitarianism? I don't cares if they feed millions if they do so buy stealing money via tax subsidizes.

[JohnTightlips]

I helped fund CATO, I must be some evil multinational corporation.

[mox1211]

Plus, just because CNBC is interviewing Farmer Joe doesn't mean big agribusiness isn't lobbying for him in Washington. The farmer does have to engage in risky finances, but subsidies only concentrate that on fewer in larger measure.

[mox1211]

When one's argument holds no weight, many will resort to ad hominem attacks. It's unfortunate that most don't see the fallacy.

[goodatbasebal]

I am in love... A woman who has a Ph.D in Economics...

Why couldn't you be younger... lol

[TreachMarkets]

@goodatbasebal She's a small government cougar ;-)

[rdhayes06]

Farmer idiot

[Malthus0]

Is bumpkin boy here really the best american farmers have to represent them? That was just embarrassing. I feel a little sorry for Sallie James I am sure she could have given a more robust intellectual case for and responses on farming subsidies. However when going against such a dirty fighting & aggressivly dumb opponent, I do not see what else she could have done better, as Thomas Sowell said: 'arguing with smart people is easy, it is arguing with supid people that is hard'.

[KYgopMajor]

Was that farmer Linsey Graham's brother, in the interview?

[ch1kusoo]

LOL love the facepalm look on Sallie

[bajoverga]

cato wins again

[shard972]

I might save this video for when i argue other people here in australia who are saying that we need subsidies.

[tarossi400]

Man, that farmer was desperate to make as many negative connections to Cato as he could. And linking Australian farmers to Saddam? WTF?

[bleckmon]

This lady is gorgeous and her points are completely valid. Let the free market work in the agrucultural market government should not be involved it is the very reason we will have food shortages because the stupid government is over it all.

[elricmlbone]

My God, is this MSM talking head an apologist for these subsidies or not, LOL.

[TexasJoe1985]

I fund CATO and I am fairly sure I am not a multinational corporation.

[Daniel44125]

I am for ending farm subsidies. It has done wonders in New Zealand's farm industry. End all subsidies.

[willyjones7]

Sallie James... beautiful and smart =D

[Voy2378]

If US stops the subsidies the terrorists win. :P

[fabes0011]

what did cato's funding had to do with the discussion? I think the farmer was playing the man and not the ball. Anyway if a farmer who is ineffective fails and then we have an effective and productive replace the failure that's good news for all. Or the failing farmer has to learning and studying ways to improve (or you may say he needs to evolve/adapt to the environment to survive). all reward and no risk. farmers just like bankers? maybe biotechnology can help in the current climate.

[capitalist4life]

Eliminate the whole fucking department of agriculture. Thumbs up if you agree!

[XCritonX]

@capitalist4life Its a good start.

[TheLegalImmigrant05]

@capitalist4life Absolutely. The food would probably go up in price for a short term, but then would likely settle below current levels.

Subsidies are evil.

[selfrealizedexile]

Milton Friedman already defeated, as did others before him, this fallacy of foreign gov'ts subsidizing their domestic businesses and putting our own (temporarily) out of business. If China wants to subsidize steel exports to our country, let them! They're fleecing their own people at our benefit. When their unsustainable subsidies end, we can just start the businesses up again richer for it.

[selfrealizedexile]

Weather isn't a legitimate excuse. If certain land gets better rain more regularly, resources will shift there than dryer conditions. It can fluctuate, but it's a rational allocation. If we subsidize dry land, we misallocate water. If it wasn't misallocation, the farmers would already be doing it by paying, by definition, lower prices that would allow a profit margin.

At the end of the day, lack of economics education or insight leads to a poorer society.

[pdqbach55]

@selfrealizedexile Please re-enroll in econ 101

[selfrealizedexile]

@pdqbach55

I got an A+ when I was in it. The class is basically on shifts in supply and demand, nothing on capital theory. Macro is all bogus.

If you think any of what I wrote was incorrect, you'd be better served pointing it out specifically. That would require you be a mature, non-disingenuous person, however.

[moden1234]

i like her accent

[PArbuckle18]

Dang, Sallie James is one sexy libertarian. Does it get any hotter? I think not.

[selfrealizedexile]

Sallie is wifey material.

[blummedia]

He might put his ASS-ests on the line but he's failing to consider he's putting the Taxpayers out on the line too. Nobody puts their butt on the line for my business, why should he have such benefits? Welfare is welfare.

Maybe he should move to California and grow marijuana?

"I cannot undertake to lay my finger

on that article of the Constitution

which granted a right to Congress of expending,

on the objects of benevolence,

the money of their constituents."

James Madison

[NecoDivad]

A brief recap.

Sally: costly, backward, distorted, bad for trade

David: I take risks, need safety net, Cato takes bailouts

Sally: all business is risky, Cato does not take bailouts, Market solves

David: Cato funded by big business, EEEEVVIIIILLLLL!

Sally: (with :15 to respond) Above is plain wrong, focus on the real issue please.

Guesses on who won that argument in the eyes of an economist? Guesses on who won in the eyes of the public? (hint: opinions diverge)

Democracy for the fail...

[amanuscar]

Pointing out the funding source for the CATO institute is NOT an argument for your taking money from the American people through force dude...

[pdqbach55]

@amanuscar, If CATO has an opinion and criticizes USDA and Congress' funding of program payments, it's only fair to follow the money of those sponsoring CATO.

[amanuscar]

@pdqbach55 Again, it's irrelevant and infantile given the topic and time constraints. It shows weakness and a lack of a solid argument. One more time, it doesn't matter who funds who, the government still operates through forceful seizure of property of peaceful citizens and then redistributing to favored individuals. Get it straight already.

[pdqbach55]

@amanuscar This is a democratically elected republic. If I disagree with governmental policy, I can work to change the policy. However, I cannot be in the minority to impose my will. That's how a democracy works. There is no "seizure" of property, it's called the law of the land. Our strength that makes us unique among other nations that practice a form of dictatorship is that we have a voice through our elected representatives. However, we as citizens then must obey the laws "we" make.

[amanuscar]

@pdqbach55 Representational government is fallacious. No one can represent your views except yourself. If you think voting does anything then I'm sorry, but you're fooling yourself. Even if it did do something, it wouldn't make voting a moral and reasonable way for people to relate to each other, it's just mob rule dressed up in a tie. In the end you're just arguing as an apologist for coercion and force, the end. I don't care if the majority gives it an okay, it doesn't make it right.

[pdqbach55]

@amanuscar so now voting is not a good way to govern ourselves. As opposed to what....anarchy? Yeah, that'll do it for the masses.

[cucumbersalad2]

@pdqbach55 No. And yes, duh.

[pdqbach55]

@amanuscar Then why the sensitivity over who funds CATO? It does matter.

[pdqbach55]

@amanuscar Force? Let's see....We, the People of the United States of America, in order to form a more perfect union....." Yeah, that's force alright.

[ambigera]

@pdqbach55 Try not paying your income tax and see what happens. If taxes were voluntary (i.e. if tax evasion wasn't a crime that gets you locked up in a cell guarded by guys with guns) would people still pay their taxes? How the fuck is that voluntary? pdqach55, stop commenting on this video, you are a fool.

[a4finger]

@amanuscar

thats so true. I hate it when ppl r like "well the other guy is wrong, so that must mean i'm right" um no, you're JUST as fuking stupid u shit. Like Obama is trying to do with Bush. and in reality its like "no jackass, u suck just as much as he does"

Not that Cato suck of course, I think they're awesome

[pkninja47]

Odd. David made a beautiful case against farm subsidies by explaining how he can't compete against Australian farmers who don't get farm subsidies. Then moments later he claims that the argument supports his view.

[pdqbach55]

@pkninja47 Go back and review the vid. Australians get competitive edge through back-door marketing practices that subsidizes their grain prices.

[picapauengracado]

@pdqbach55 "Australians get competitive edge ..."

Of course, they do. Democracy is a system in which small constituents leverage the apathy of the many for their profit.

Anyhow, who cares if Australian subsides food? In fact, it's a great thing for the rest of the world that Australian taxpayers are willing to give us such a gift. Sure -- it would be better if Australia gave us free food, but cheap food is still a very nice gift. Thank you, you sappy Australian taxpayers.

[pkninja47]

@pdqbach55 Everyone cries foul when they believe they are entitled to something and don't get it.

[pdqbach55]

@pkninja47 So, CATO is crying foul on farm programs. They really don't get it.

[pkninja47]

@pdqbach55 You mis-applied my logic. What you just did is comparable to applying the logic 'leaves are green and so is my car' to prove the false point that 'since my car is green and so are leaves, all cars must be leaves.

[pdqbach55]

@pkninja47 David never said that Australians don't get subsidies. Please rewind and review.

[pkninja47]

@pdqbach55 David didn't directly say that Australian farmers don't get subsidies, however he never contested the statement. In light of everything else he contested, he surely would have on that topic had he believed the opposite.

[pdqbach55]

@pkninja47 David did point out that transportation subsidies lowers the competitive prices paid by purchasers of Australian grain, which effectively is an indirect subsidy benefit for Australian producers.

[seks03]

what a scumbag that farmer was to bring up Saddam Hussans name... suprised he didn't drop a 9/11 or "Dont let the terrorist win" line

[pdqbach55]

@seks03 Did you review the historical record to come to that conclusion? David wins this round....

[whoo689]

Farmers should be treated like EVERYONE ELSE who has a job or works! No subsidies, no exception. I'm TIRED of this farm subsidy bullshit. Only 2% of Americans are farmers these days! Can't the country survive without a mere 2% getting subsidies to grow crops? For christ sake

And it's not like ALL or nearly all of them need the extra money. But like self-interested twats, they take the subsidies rather than be responsible and say, "You know what? I'm not gonna mooch off taxpayers."

[whoo689]

If it's true that the average farmer DOES make considerably more than the average American, WTF is the point of subsidies??? Does this not cross ANY Democrat or liberal's mind EVER? Or are they always campaigning for the subsidies merely to get liberal and farmer votes, small as they may be? Every vote counts sorta thing?

I dunno why, though. It's not like Republicans are all of a sudden gonna start campaigning for farm subsidies if Dems say, "Cut them".

[whoo689]

@whoo689 New Zealand already eliminated farm subsidies I think at least a DECADE ago, and they're doing fine! There's no reason it wouldn't work here. Farmers need to own up to reality. If a farmer can't cut it, fuck it. Go get another job or profession. Do something else. Don't subsidize failure.

And plus, even if a relative few of them WOULD fail without subsidies, it's not like we don't already have an abundance of crops or couldn't replace the loss with imports.

[whoo689]

And let's not forget about all the AGRIBUSINESS companies that end up getting subsidies because the Democrats, who claim they're "for small farmers" are TOO STUPID to either put provisions in their bills to prevent that from happening or making sure the Ag Dept. doesn't do it.

[whoo689]

If anything, farm subsidies should be a LAST RESORT when most or all the farmers can't grow nearly enough crops for our nation to feed itself, and we can't replace much of those losses with imported crops. Farm subsidies distort the market otherwise. This is not the Great Depression where 1 in 4 Americans farm.

[arcanekrusader]

@whoo689 What the hell good will that do? Read what you've written!

[pdqbach55]

@whoo689 If you believe those who have jobs get no subsidies, I have some ocean front property in Arizona to offer for sale. Schools receive food aid subsidies through USDA. Many Fortune 500 companies like Boeing and others receive property tax abatements from state and local governments, not to mention tax benefits from Uncle Sam. Therefore, anyone who works for these companies are indirect beneficiaries of these "benefits". 

[feenix566]

Regardless of where Cato's funding is coming from, that doesn't make them any less right. Subsidies drive up prices, High prices are bad for cosumers. All Americans are consumers. Subsidies are designed to work in favor of a small minority of the people at the expense of everyone else. It's not fair, it's not right, and it's not beneficial to the long term economic health of our country.

[Graffight]

don't they need a safty net? NO...they need to be responsible with the money they make off of their profits. If they go under due to poor planning they will go under, and someone better will take their place.

[uttles]

"I doubt the average household puts up everything they have every year to do their job"

Um, yes, they do, if they are a small businessperson.

Also, if it's so risky, then how about SAVE your profits and store them away for bad years, or purchase insurance. Stop stealing the money from the taxpayer to make up for your own lack of planning.

[SquashDog01]

@uttles Truth

Keeping the price of of goods artificially at any rate is wrong and anti free market.