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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dayuhan who wrote (36142)	3/22/2004 10:52:33 PM
From: frankw1900	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793884

You're dead on, Steven. NA and EU subsidies are absolutely the single biggest drag on 3rd world economies. I suspect the effect is even worse than that of (some) of their leadership. If the US and Canada dropped their subsidies and opened their markets to all 3rd world countries without restriction, it would be almost a "silver bullet" in its effect on their relations with us. (Not to mention that we'd all be more prosperous). And, yes, it would have a non-benign effect on French pols - and the equally corrupt EU bureaucracy - they wouldn't know which way to turn. I don't see why the French should have a corner on Algerian plonk.... It's far too good for what they use it for. American agricultural subsidies, particularly those on sugar and cotton, really are obscene. They are also totally unnecessary. 60% of the crops grown in the US receive 3% of the subsidies. Even within the 40% that gets 97% of the subsidies (around $18 billion a year) the subsidies are concentrated among a very small number of beneficiaries, and these guys don't have dirt under their nails. The stuff we hear about subsidies supporting small farmers is complete bullshit.