NAFTA + U.S. Farm Subsidies Devastates Mexican Agriculture

Why Do Mexican Workers Head North Pt2 - Tim Wise: U.S. corn exported to Mexico at 19% below cost of production

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• therealnews
• real news
• politics
• media
• mexico
• workers
• nafta

[mikepalomino]

God, this is so depressing. I really wish Real News would report some good news from time to time. Feels like we're all being cordoned off and enclosed by corporate interests ready to make us their serfs.

[NicosNicosNicosNicos]

@bbburton What if Paul is capable of distinguishing between subsidising health, education, and other basic needs for the poor to live a dignified life and subsidising powerful agro and weapons giants? How about if Paul is aware that US foreign policy preaches"free trade" (no protectionism) for other economies such as Mexico's while subsidising its own? How about if something ideological is preventing you from seeing these screamingly obvious and coherent points?

[QuatFax]

Of course, this would demonstrate that there is not actually free trade under NAFTA.

[KripDrip]

its the mexican peoples fault for choosing to buy cheap american corn instead of supporting the mexican farms by buying their corn.

[drbayoms]

Admittedly i do not know much about farm subsidies. Just to get me started I would like someone (regardless of political affiliation, gender, religious preference, etc) to explain it to me in terms as basic as you would like.

The 3 questions are: What are farm subsidies? Why were they started/created? Why do we need them?

Of course I am doing my own independent reading. But I would like to hear from someone else about this. For now I am indifferent, only because I am not informed. Thanks

[FireweedFarm]

What hurts Mexico is low farm prices, for maize (corn) for example. This is not "caused" by farm subsidies, however, it's merely "correlated" with it. Subsidies are given when prices are low, for example 1981-2006. The lowest prices in history, adjusted for inflation, were 1998-2005. 2005 was the lowest corn price in history. We need to change the farm bill. We need the Food from Family Farms Act of the National Family Farm Coalition. See links and documentation through my channel.

[zonilo1]

@underthebox

Obama is well aware of NAFTA's consequences because it's benefiting him and the system he represents which is capitalism.

[zonilo1]

@colibri1

It also brings a whole new meaning to "Stupid Americans".

[zonilo1]

@colibri1

Because most USians don't understand about the system we live in Capitalism, and they instead live in a American Exceptionalist fantasy world and blame on it a staw man.

[PQPRockford]

@kawola17 You are right but outsourcing is another issue. There are a lot of variables to what the corporations are doing.

[kawola17]

@agitcam Mostly correct, but wages here are suppressed not because Mexicans are coming here. They are suppressed because Corporations are finding it much cheaper by sending these jobs to Mexico. People get laid off here. And the jobs that are left, are at a lower wage because the unions must compromise for fear that they'll send the remaining jobs to Mexico. It's "you'll take a pay cut or we'll send your job to Mexico."

[cristopherkloeess]

Well well well whos taking whos jobs? Mexicans might be taking American jobs at Jack in the Box but it seems Americans are taking entire business sectors from Mexicans. Hard to accept that Mexico the land where corn was first cultivated over 800 years ago is now importing corn from the US. 800 years of harvested survival down the drain thanks to the all mighty elite!