On the back of health care reform came an effort, at last, to remove the subsidies given to private lenders who make student loans.
The government will do the loans directly, saving billions of dollars.
Gorilla says: “Now if Congress can move on to getting rid of farm subsidies, America will indeed be a less socialist paradise and Know Nothings will have something to celebrate!”
Brazil is slapping some tariffs on US cotton and many other goods, having won every round in the WTO, and it’s yet another example of why those who preach fair trade rarely practice fair trade.
US agricultural subsidies have the effect of keeping prices artificially high for US consumers and promoting poverty in countries like Brazil, where domestic producers can’t compete.
And is there any chance we’ll get rid of the subsidies, a huge waste of money at a time of ever growing deficits?
Gorilla answers: “No chance of borrowing for Paul from Peter Cottontail!”
Ridiculous ideas don’t always originate with ex-generals, but then again few ex-generals lately have had a more ridiculous idea than Wesley Clark.
Clark proposes that American gas stations provide country of origin information for the fuels they sell.
“Most Americans don’t want their paychecks going to Venezuela and other regimes that don’t agree with and support the U.S,” said retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark, who co-chairs Growth Energy, the (ethanol) industry group behind the push.
Gorilla gushes: “Professor Marvel would be so proud of Wes! Patriotic Americans want our paychecks going to pay sky high subsidies to millionaire corn farmers in Iowa and billionaire sugar producers in Florida!!!”
Now that sugar prices are at a 28-year high, isn’t it about time we stopped protecting our domestic sugar industry from international competition?
We subsidize this industry to the tune of $2 billion/year, enabling American consumers to pay some of the highest prices for sugar in the world.
Gorilla thinks: “Sugar is just like Big Pharma, only without the patent monopolies. Gouging is as American as corn subsidies for ethanol, so I’m waiting to hear Senator McCain and the other free marketeers tell us it’s time to plant, plant, plant in the Everglades”.
Our farmers are paid by the US government to build a corn syrup monument to ethanol and junk food, but French farmers prefer a subsidy for “luxuries” like fresh fruit and vegetables.
Ah, but Brussels says this is illegal, and wants the French to claw back their subsidies from French farmers!!!
Gorilla says: “Michelle Obama, when will you take your good food battle to our cheese eating subsidy monkeys? Let’s claw back some of their cash and put Sophie Tucker on the case!”
Chuck Grassley, last seen defending the free market monopoly of health insurers in Iowa, is now protecting the heavily subsidized ($853 million in 2006) corn farmers of Iowa from Brazilian ethanol competition.
He does this by putting a hold on the US Ambassador-designate to Brazil’s nomination, apparently because of remarks suggesting that the tariff on Brazilian ethanol one day might be repealed.
Gorilla says: “In this age of cannot do bipartisanship, at least you can count on Republicans to defend home grown socialism right up to the water’s edge!”
