Ritz WTO position??

[silverback]

You advocating supply management for all ag products Tom?

What did you have for supper yesterday?

[agstar77]

Be realistic the only thing that matters is getting a majoity government . What has changed? All the votes are in Q and O. Why would Canada's New Government , give a Rodent's butt about Western Grain growers?

[parsley]

One of the realistic policies that the Conservatives have consistently supported IS for the West...the freedom to market what a Western farmer grows.

That is a plus.

The Conservative Government has never wavered on that one.

Parsley

[Kodiak]

I thought there were two issues in the Ritz letter that stood out. First, it shows absolutely no support for the 90% of Canada’s farmers who depend on exports for a good measure of their sales. And second, while I don’t expect a politician to take candy from babies, I am growing tired of the whitewash coming from political folk in all Parties on supply management. Sure it is a system that works. It works by protecting the power and privilege of a single class of citizens, at the expense of everyone else. It works by force, exclusion, and threat of legal prosecution.

And Tom, I expected more of you as well. As someone who normally strives to take the high road, I thought you would be a least a bit concerned about the natural and efficient allocation of resources, market signals for producers and consumers both, the ability of young farmers to enter the field, or growth of the Canadian economy. None of these issues are provided for with government controlled enterprise. Government legislated supply management is simply wealth redistribution and social engineering by another name. Wealth is taken from producers of non-supply managed products and from consumers, and given to the privileged. Are you trying to become a member of the privileged class Tom? Furthermore, I had previously thought the notion of legal prosecution for producing food would be abhorrent to you.

But let’s not turn this thread into a finger pointing exercise between farmers. That can happen elsewhere. (I'm already guilty enough of that.)

What is more important to me about the Ritz letter is what it doesn’t say, and what this implies about the Federal Government’s support for the grains, oilseeds, special crops, and the red meat sector when it comes to the important issue of a fair trading environment internationally.

[TOM4CWB]

Smile!

You folks should travel a little more... and expand your horizons!

1.) I clearly said "WTO Compliant"

2.) SUpply management CAN be created and managed in a manner that respects private property rights.

3.) I clearly mentioned that there are problems with the present supply management system, you have brought forward a few of them. But please tell me what is perfect in any event?

4.) the mis-allocation of resourses the CWB Pool system has caused with the "Pro-Bono" domestic feed grain policy... has further complicated the error in the supply management system... and made the capitalisation of quota even more distorting.

5.) I never said that I wanted to Capitalise Quota for wheat or barley production... clearly some force will balance supply and demand... be it large multinationals or private innovation... or some kind of public interest of the nation state!

6.) The fact of life is simple... food is the politics of physical life... Food production will ALWAYS be political, and nation states will defend the right to control food supplies above all other issues they must deal with!

7.) As the world becomes more prosperous... the balance of who has the "right" to have a full tummy... and who will enforce that "right" to have food... is clearly placed in front of us. 9-11 has changed everything. People WILL be fed... or governments will destabilise and political leaders who don't feed their people won't find a cave deep enough to hide in to save their skin!

Reality CHeck folks... get a grip... don't put up the blinders of intolerance. We live in Canada... we are to be tolerant and make the best out of what we have!

[Fransisco]

What exactly is so tolerant of putting a gun against your buyers(the consumers head) and saying , "thou shalt only buy from me and at my price"?

[TOM4CWB]

Fransisco,

What does any system do? Exactly as you have said.

It matters not which system operates... each one does the same thing and has the same outcome.

How do we balance the outcome to most fairly meet the needs of our brother/sister... where ever they are on this little blue planet third from the sun?

Is government regulation more evil than indexed funds distorting the futures value of our crops? Or Ethanol/biofuel adding 25% to the value of our grain crops?

There is no "free ride"... how we choose to manage our affairs will determine the fruit we produce... are we going for "positive" out comes that encourage prosperity?

[parsley]

Tom4CWB,

You are clearly have a "moment" here.
It's okay.


We've all had them at one time or another. Some of them are just harder to get over.

Parsley

[mustardman]

For once I agree with Tom, he's right on with his take on this issue.

[Fransisco]

I demand to know what you have done with the Tom who was in favour of 'voluntary' transactions? And who has taken his place?

All systems are not created equal, not by a long shot. You are now advocated coercion and saying it's no big deal.

What happened to your morality?