tariff relief -especially since China targeted US farmers- is not "socialism" at all
Zach Wolf
Analysis by Zachary B. Wolf, CNN
(CNN)President Donald Trump isn't known for ideological consistency but his demand of credit for a second multibilllion-dollar bailout of US farmers creates a new level of discord with his attacks on socialism.
On Thursday, the Trump administration released details of a new raft of handouts to US farmers caught in the middle of the President's trade standoff with China.
This is not to criticize the farmers, whose livelihoods are tied to international trade, which Trump has threatened by starting a trade war with China.
It is to point out that days earlier, when Trump claimed credit in a tweet for helping out the farmers, he was seeking praise for an effort to duct-tape a problem that he very much created.
"Farmers are starting to do great again, after 15 years of a downward spiral. The 16 Billion Dollar China 'replacement' money didn't exactly hurt!"
Set aside that the farmers' predicament has been singly created by his nationalist trade policy or that this is the second such relief effort he's had to greenlight (an earlier program totaled $12 billion in payments to farmers).
It is even harder to square his government props for farmers with the demonizing of socialism he has pursued as a campaign tactic, poking at a festering divide in the Democratic Party.
A few days before he was seeking praise for bailing out the farmers, Trump was attacking four lawmakers, all minority women, when he pledged again on Twitter that the US would never be a socialist country.
"We will never be a Socialist or Communist Country. IF YOU ARE NOT HAPPY HERE, YOU CAN LEAVE! It is your choice, and your choice alone. This is about love for America. Certain people HATE our Country ... ," he tweeted.
Certainly, helping farmers is not the first step to socialism. But it is definitely an example of the government doing more to help its citizens, which is the general idea behind a lot of the more socialist tendencies the President has attacked.
More @ source
"There is no question former President Trump bears moral responsibility. His supporters stormed the Capitol because of the unhinged falsehoods he shouted into the world’s largest megaphone," McConnell wrote. "His behavior during and after the chaos was also unconscionable, from attacking Vice President Mike Pence during the riot to praising the criminals after it ended."
tariff relief -especially since China targeted US farmers- is not "socialism" at all
Callinectes (08-01-2019), Stretch (07-26-2019), Truth Detector (07-26-2019)
I am very interested to find out who, exactly, is receiving this bailout money. The word "farmer" evokes a sympathetic mental picture of a man in overalls, working hard with the help of his family, to manage a hundred acres or so growing corn, beans, maybe some hogs or cattle as well. But how many "farmers" are actually huge corporate concerns? How are they receiving this money? Is it based on acreage farmed? Last year's tax return? Is the corporate farm a holder of a massive amount of acreage, which is then leased to those individual farmers who actually do all the hard work? If so, do those farmers benefit in any way from the bailout, or does the corporation keep it? How does this stuff all work?
Oh the humanity. lol
Today, 07:14 AM
CFM
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"There is no question former President Trump bears moral responsibility. His supporters stormed the Capitol because of the unhinged falsehoods he shouted into the world’s largest megaphone," McConnell wrote. "His behavior during and after the chaos was also unconscionable, from attacking Vice President Mike Pence during the riot to praising the criminals after it ended."
I have not seen the exact details of this socialist endeavor but, as you suspect, it is the big boys reaping the rewards..
Really had Obama done this is there any doubt these defenders would be screaming socialist if Obama was passing out cash to his supporters to cover for his stupid blunders.............
Yep, socialism for his buddies, hard cold capitalism for us..............
"There is no question former President Trump bears moral responsibility. His supporters stormed the Capitol because of the unhinged falsehoods he shouted into the world’s largest megaphone," McConnell wrote. "His behavior during and after the chaos was also unconscionable, from attacking Vice President Mike Pence during the riot to praising the criminals after it ended."
Trumpet (07-26-2019)
Obama didn't create the great recession, obviously, but I sure do recall the screaming from the Reichwing about "socialism" when we had to bail out the big American automakers in order to keep them from going under and taking thousands of jobs with them. I bet you do, too. What is the difference between bailing out GM, and bailing out farmers? Only one difference: This bailout is solely Trump's baby. He spawned it and gave birth to it. Why aren't the Teatards and Reichwingers screaming NOW?
By the definitions we use for socialism this is 100% socialism. It’s welfare for farmers. One can argue it needs to be done etc etc but no matter how you slice it it’s socialism.
John Barron (07-26-2019), Rune (07-27-2019)
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