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Strategies & Market Trends : Bonds, Currencies, Commodities and Index Futures -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Joan Osland Graffius who wrote (1443)	3/4/2001 10:38:36 AM
From: Raymond Duray	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12411

Hi Joan, I've always marveled at the mindset of the family farmer. Generally always rock-ribbed Republicans, and very much free marketeers with hell of a bent toward gambling. First of all, if they would organize, they would have some bargaining power against the grain elevator operators, the Cargills and AMDs of this world and the damn speculators in the pits in Kansas City, Chicago etc. It amazes me to see them decide independence is so much more important than achieving market power. I've always thought farmers, as a class, would be far better off as an organized, unionized force. BWDIK? The notion that an independent farmer, no matter how many advanced degrees he has, no matter how much computer power he has, can ever compete with the trading desks of Cargill or CBOT and their instantaneous access to information and the trading pits baffles me. As one friend always reminds me about futures and spot markets, if you are using a mouse, you are too late. As far as I'm concerned farmers have simply bamboozled themselves with their old-fashioned mal-adaptive attitudes, largely based on the Christian ethic of self-reliance, to their ultimate detriment as an economic force. Does it strike anyone else here that it is absurd that the cost of wheat in a $2.00 loaf of supermarket bread is about seven cents? As far as the success of the American farmer during the Truman era, remember that this was a period of time when Europe was devastated and not able to feed itself. America was in its heyday in manufacturing as well during this period. So, the price of wheat was very much dependent on the outcome of WWII. A very similar situation drove the economy of Argentina post WWI, when their beef and wheat became extremely valuable in the world markets. That marked the high point in the Argentine economy, on the scale of the greatest period of prosperity that country ever enjoyed. Best, Ray :)