"Peace Clause" on Agrisubsidies in WTO Expired

[Ramo]

http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2296891

So what's going to happen? Will the West give in and dismantle their agrisubsidies or will there be a massive trade war?

[Bosh]

Ooooh this should be interesting. If the WTO could get Bush to back down on the steel tariffs it might be able to do at least something on this too, but that's probably too much to wish for

Well it should be fun to watched outraged first world farmers if this goes through. Nobody protests more annoyingly than subsidized farmers. Here farmers had rallies at the graves of politicians ancestors and threatened to desecrate them unless there was no free trade agreement with Chile (like there's all that much trade between Korea and Chile in the first place), they had to be smacked down by riot police. Idiots.

[Urban Ranger]

More like US vs France, something like that.

[Chilean President™]

Originally posted by Boshko
Well it should be fun to watched outraged first world farmers if this goes through. Nobody protests more annoyingly than subsidized farmers. Here farmers had rallies at the graves of politicians ancestors and threatened to desecrate them unless there was no free trade agreement with Chile (like there's all that much trade between Korea and Chile in the first place), they had to be smacked down by riot police. Idiots.

I saw it in the news. what happen finally? does the Korean parliament approved the FTA?

[Bosh]

Looks like it, haven't grabbed an English newspaper recently (they don't sell any anywhere in my town) but it looks like they'll go through since there aren't enough rural districts where politicians can be threatened into voting against it.

[Chilean President™]

I hope this could be signed. I mean, is true, we are not like the biggest economic partners, but it will help to Koreans and Chileans products to arrive to America and Asia respectively.
Personally I'm happy cause I want a Korean car, and now they're going to arrive cheaper

It's amazing, thanks to all these FTAs Chile have better relations with countries far away like Korea, Japan or the EU, and cold distant relations with the other American countries.

[Patroklos]

I understand the nostalgic wish to preserve the small farmer, but in all reality the entity is a relic. Subsidizing small farms against agribuisness is like subsidizing blacksmiths agains steel mills.

Agribuisness groups are a hell of alot more productive than private farms, and on average there participants make more than they did privately, if you count the reinvenstment the company puts in updating equipment and such (this is just based off the accounts of two peanut farmers I know in Sufolk VA, so I am not claiming the authority of God on this one).

I hear alot of people *****ing about how this screw the third world farmer, but honestly they really can't be any more screwed than they were before agribuisness got there. Agribuisnes does reinvest in capital assets, so even if the people don't own the equipment at least their sand farms are producing something agian, which may not be good for them personally but it is for their reion as a whole.

But for those of you who hate corporations for whatever reason, except logic of course because then you wouldn't hate most, I will just agree to disagree with you now

[Urban Ranger]

Agribusinesses get subsidies.

[Patroklos]

Getting them and living off them are two different thing. If the government offeres you money would you say no?

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Agribusinesses get subsidies.

And they shouldn't, because it is STUPID.

[TCO]

Economist is so lightweight.

(I agree with eliminating tarrifs and subsidies...it's just that there issue analysis is middlebrow.)

[Ramo]

I understand the nostalgic wish to preserve the small farmer, but in all reality the entity is a relic. Subsidizing small farms against agribuisness is like subsidizing blacksmiths agains steel mills.

Small farms aren't subsidized against agribusiness; corporate farms get lots of subsidies too.

I agree with eliminating tarrifs and subsidies...it's just that there issue analysis is middlebrow.

The analysis doesn't matter, it's the story man. Mindblowing, isn't it? We could be on the brink of a trade war or the end of agrisubsidies.

If the WTO could get Bush to back down on the steel tariffs it might be able to do at least something on this too, but that's probably too much to wish for

That's the thing, I don't see Shrub backing down. He lost too much over the steel tariffs with respect to the electorate. Farmers have an awful lot of power in this country, and their lobby already got what they wanted with the recent increase in subsides. He's trying a balancing act (see the withdrawal of support from Taiwan on the one hand and the tariffs on Chinese textiles on the other hand) and I think he's about to fall flat.

[TCO]

Originally posted by Ramo


Small farms aren't subsidized against agribusiness; corporate farms get lots of subsidies too.



The analysis doesn't matter, it's the story man. Mindblowing, isn't it? We could be on the brink of a trade war or the end of agrisubsidies.



That's the thing, I don't see Shrub backing down. He lost too much over the steel tariffs with respect to the electorate. Farmers have an awful lot of power in this country, and their lobby already got what they wanted with the recent increase in subsides. He's trying a balancing act (see the withdrawal of support from Taiwan on the one hand and the tariffs on Chinese textiles on the other hand) and I think he's about to fall flat.

The story is fine. I just want to make sure that you learn to be discriminating with the Economist.

[Shi Huangdi]

I don't think any candidate in an election year would be willing to take on a group as powerful as farmers...

[Ramo]

But the consequence may be facing retaliatory trade restrictions by the developing world and thereby pissing off just about everyone else in the country.