I was talking with a friend today with the perception that America is to solve all the world’s problems. We send foreign aid all around the world, for all sorts of purposes, in amounts that cannot be compared to any other country in the world, yet it is never enough.
Shortly after this conversation I came across this article on MSNBC.com
A five-year farm bill in Congress this week does little to address the growing global food crisis. Instead, it diverts money that could be spent feeding poor children abroad to give more subsidies for U.S. farmers now enjoying record high crop prices and incomes.
Food experts, international aid groups and the White House all complain that the $300 billion bill crafted by House and Senate negotiators focuses on the wrong priorities. The bill has widespread bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, but President Bush has promised to veto it.
While the legislation does send some food relief abroad, the amount is less than 1 percent of the bill's total cost. At the same time, the measure maintains subsidies to U.S. farmers at levels that hurt poor countries trying to produce food on their own, critics say.
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said last week the bill is incompatible with the world economy as poor weather, high fuel prices and growing need are contributing to higher food prices and severe hunger in developing nations. Bush contends it's too expensive and too generous to wealthy U.S. farmers.
I say cut agree that our silly farm subsidies hurt the international farmer and should be abolished, but the idea that we owe the world the solution to the ‘growing global food crisis’ is ridiculous. Let’s take care of America’s interests first. After our problems are solved we can evaluate what we can offer the rest of the world.
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