why do people expect food to stay in US?

markcl · Coal Joined: Jul 30, 2006 Posts: 10

If China or any other country holding us$ is willing to pay for food, what is to stop them from buying every ton to dump us$ and store for their people?

Gerben

1. Many countries already have food in storage.
2. Food is perishable.
3. Lack of free storage room.
4. Food doesn't pay interest.

HorneyGeekBoi · Tar Sands Joined: Apr 28, 2007 Posts: 30

Like with ethanol fuel, the more of a certain item you buy, the less there is, therefor the more expensive it becomes. China has no need to try and just buy up all the food in the world, and if that happened there would be rationing soon after the price became too high to prevent people rioting.

If you try to buy up a single commodity till it runs out, the first and second things that happen is the price increases and people try to use alternatives. Lets not remember how dependant china are on the US economy and exporting all their goods. Why would you want to ruin the economy of your main trading partner. An america where people are impoverished and lacking food arernt going to have much disposable income. Not to suggest the american economy will simply tank, they will probably try and stop it. In any case, china may as well dump all its dollars onto the market if it wanted to screw things up.

wisconsin_cur · Moderator Joined: May 10, 2007 Posts: 2992

1. people in america have guns and a percentage of those who have them know how to use them.

2. politicians value their lives, congressmen (and women) are not paid enough to have effective 24/7 security.

3. When a dad who has and knows how to use a weapon watches his children starve to death he becomes dangerous to said congress people

4. Congress people pass a law to keep the food here, by whatever means necessary.

All politics is local and possession in 9/10ths of the law. They hold dollars as part of an agreement, we are fully capable of breaking that agreement when the benefits of breaking it outweigh the costs of breaking it.

We will keep food here because it is in the interests of the powers that be to keep it here.

Nothing here should be read as an advocasy of violence.... but as a belief that we americans are more able to resort to violence if we feel the need.
_________________
Nature is complete because it does not serve itself.

The sage places himself after and finds himself before,
Ignores his desire and finds himself content.

He is complete because he does not serve himself. -Lao Tze

Andrew_S · Intermediate Crude Joined: Jan 09, 2005 Posts: 683

Andrew_S · Intermediate Crude Joined: Jan 09, 2005 Posts: 683

gnm

~SHIPPING~

If there was a global fuel/oil/food crisis the US has plenty of oil to keep the farms humming. With shipping fuel at a premium only excess food would be shipped (and only if profitable) given the costs.

That and what the other poster said about keeping civil unrest to a minimum.

-G
_________________
All right, you primitive screw-heads, listen up!

Andrew_S · Intermediate Crude Joined: Jan 09, 2005 Posts: 683

oldstyle

I have read the text's from FerFal a few times and one of the things that made alot of sense to me when I read it was his description of how this exact thing occured in Argentina.

Historically there was plenty of food, in fact the country fed not only themselves but much of Europe during the past with a huge export business. Large food producers monopolized the industry pushing out the local smaller farmers. After the economic crash it became financially more lucrative to sell food outside of the country where it would bring higher prices. Essentially, if the local currency devalues and you have the option of selling bread for 1 dollar locally, or 10 dollars remotely with a 3 dollar shipping cost *ANY* company would take the 700% increase in profits. By law in the United States a corporation exists only for the sake of shareholders and if a company did not make steps to maximize profits they likely would be sued by shareholders. I can easily see this situation occuring in the US if the situation is slow deteriorization. When things change slowly over time we seem to be blind to them and do not react the way we would if it was overnight.

gnm

vfr · Tar Sands Joined: Dec 31, 2007 Posts: 95