Food Prices, Shortages & Inflation - The Trash Index

[Wifezilla]

Koxxx, the whole crop issue in general is another time bomb. Monoculture is a quick way to disaster. Animal/plant systems based on nature work FANTASTIC and according to one report I read, small and medium polyculture systems could very well provide whatever a growing world population needs.

Unfortunately the governments of the world seem to be doing everything possible to squash small independent farmers and growers. They want factory farms because they are easier to tax, control and regulate.

Long term sustainability, prosperous independent families and community based solutions don't even enter in to their minds.

 

[Icu4dzs]

Two books may amuse and inspire you (particularly WZ)
1. The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer
2. Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal

Both written by Joel Salatin.
I heard him speak a few weeks ago in Fergus Falls, MN and he was great.

I have decided to adopt a significant number of his techniques for farming and pasture management with my huge herd of (3) cattle and 9 hens.

This guy and WZ (as well as a bunch more of us old fogey's) come from the same "school".

These "taxes" that are easier to get simply go to those who won't work in order to "redistribute the wealth" You can't decrease poverty by diminishing wealth. Hard, honest work is the answer!
But then that's us...the hard working folks

Just one thought. Regardless of the reason it is taken or from whom it is taken , if a person takes something that doesn't belong to them it is still wrong. That is why folks have spent so much money on cameras and other concealed devices to stop thieves.
I know we here in SS-F have higher standards of ethics when it comes to this issue. If you don't wish to pay for the item, don't buy it. (please see The 10 General Suggestions for Human Behavior which were re-named by progressive thinking)

 

[freemotion]

I use some of Salatin's methods and it really makes a difference. I still need to cross-fence. I need to use goat field fencing as electric is useless with my goats and my dry, dry soil.

I am also intrigued by the multi-cropping methods of 12 Aprils Farm.

 

[Wifezilla]

SYDNEY -- U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said late Monday that commodity prices are being driven primarily by global supply and demand. "Those prices are affecting the overall price indexes of the United States," he said. Bernanke added, however, that as long as inflation expectations remain stable and well anchored, "which in my view remains the case," and as long as commodity-price increases eventually stabilize, then this will not be reflected in a standard increase in inflation. "I think the increase will be transitory, that it will pass, and we will go back to a level of inflation that is consistent with our price stability mandate," he said. Still, he said that, if inflation assumptions prove to be incorrect, "then we would certainly have to respond to that to ensure that we maintain price stability in the United States."

Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/2011/04/04/bernanke-sees-higher-inflation-transitory/#ixzz1IbyIFs3h


Ok, let's play "translate the double-speak". Who wants to go first?

 

[k0xxx]

He said...

"Prices are going up. They will keep going up until they stop. Unless they don't stop, in which case they will go even higher. "

And this is the guy who is controlling our economy. We're screwed.

 

[Wifezilla]

ICU, I read "Everything I want to do..." last year. Great book

k0xxx, I think "if inflation assumptions prove to be incorrect, "then we would certainly have to respond to that to ensure that we maintain price stability in the United States." means that when inflation gets out of control, they will try wage and price freezes. And gee, haven't we had a wonderful history of those working....NOT!

 

[k0xxx]

k0xxx, I think "if inflation assumptions prove to be incorrect, "then we would certainly have to respond to that to ensure that we maintain price stability in the United States." means that when inflation gets out of control, they will try wage and price freezes. And gee, haven't we had a wonderful history of those working....NOT!

The problem is that the Fed cannot enact wage and price controls, that has to come from Legislative or the Executive branches. The effect of wage and price controls is to drive goods out of the market, which causes more dollars to compete for fewer goods, and inflation goes up.

The only two things that the Fed can do is to print money and manipulate interest rates. They've been printing money, hence the current problems. They can raise interest rates to pull money out of the economy, but if they do that it will cause interest payments on the debt to go up. That in turn would require ever increasing government borrowing to fund the debt payments, so as not reduce services, and the debt goes up faster. Also, contracting the money supply will reduce employment, causing the tax base to further erode, and the debt goes up faster.

At some point the debt gets to the point where we either cannot service it any more, or the few remaining buyers of T-Bills lose all confidence and the Fed is forced to buy up 100% of the bonds (currently the Fed is already buying 70% of T-Bills). Can you say Zimbabwe?

The bottom line is... we're screwed.

 

[Icu4dzs]

So, in thinking "outside the box" here it ocurred to me that this debt thing has become so overbearing as to be insurmountable given the state of our economy, and the world. That having been said, we could easily look at the amount of funds given to all the countries in the world over the last, say, 100 years. Every time there has been any disaster, every time there has been a war, the treasury of the United States of America has been dipped into and the funds used to help the rest of the world get back on its feet.

OK, so the bankers have gotten us into huge debt. Big business is not producing anything to send to China, but now WalMart has commissioned 3 huge ships (1302 long, 207 wide) to carry goods made in China to the US in the space of 4 days (31 kts).

Does that make a difference? Well, yes, because every time they send us one of those ships laden with their goods, we send those CONEX boxes back on those ships, dead empty.)

Why do I mention this? Well, if we stop buying all the stuff that Walmart is flooding our markets with and we stop giving them the money they won't be continuing to create more debt. OK, so that won't work.
The other option is even simpler.

We explain that all the money we have given away for the past 100 years to every country who has needed it has two options.
1.) pay back the all the money ever sent by the USA to any country in the world at ANY time in history so we can pay our debt or
2.) Just declare that they will have to "just write it off" and be done with it in the same manner folks always tell me to do when they decide not to pay their bills. It is very simple. We just ZERO out the books and tell them "Thank you very much for your support" and start over. We have lots more important things to think about than the international banking mess. How about a little spring weather with some dry soil so I can get out into the field and start my crops...?

We declare bankruptcy and tell them to "suck it up". Why not? It will permit our children and grandchildren to grow up without the fear of debt and allow them to devote their attentions to the things that matter in THIS country. Frankly, this is all a bunch of hype to keep us terrified. I don't need it, do YOU?

Yeah, I know...very radical. So tell whoever doesn't like it, "go ahead sue me" or better yet, find out if they want to fight with us about it...then you'll find they are probably a bit less eager to tangle with what we know to be the worlds fiercest warriors...the USMC! No doubt it would cause a lot of headlines and a lot of bankers would be really mad but the everyday folks like you and me couldn't give a rat's patootie about it as long as they have bread on the table every day.

Sorry, I only got 3 peeps out of a hatch of 11...I'm kinda feeling a bit like I just don't care about all that debt.

I know, how about just making them play one big poker game and calling it quits?

 

[Wifezilla]

Deciding the fate of the world and the future on a poker game isn't nearly as dumb as some of the things they have tried!

(Sorry about the bad hatch)

 

[Boogity]

Icu4dzs - your last post left me wondering just what you wanted to say.

However, the first part of your post is what led me to this post . . .

I know that we are absolutely drowning in Chinese made products here in the USA. I know that we have allowed this situation to grow to extremely alarming proportions. I also know that it is very hard to live in our country without purchasing darn near EVERYTHING with a Made-in-China label. Americans have taken a myopic view of this for more than 15 years now.

China is a Communist country with the typical hatred for the USA that most other foreign countries have. The Chinese govt. owns all manufacturing in China even though there are many different companies. Therefor millions of US dollars spent in the USA on Chinese products every day goes directly to the Communist Govt. This money goes into the development, manufacturing, and implementation of hi-tech rockets, guns, bombs, stealth aircraft, stealth warships, military equipment of all sorts, military personnel, etc.

In the not-so-distant future China will either support one of our enemies or declare war themselves on the USA. This will be the biggest and most devastating war the world has ever seen. Many, if not all, of the countries that share the hatred for the USA will join and support China. The USA will not survive.

When each one of us see another body bag (and there will be millions) return home from this war we MUST say to ourselves "I did this to my brother, sister, son, daughter, grand son, grand daughter."

Please think about this every time you plop down your money for another Chinese product.