• TheMurphy@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Can you explain how the US has a more socialist agricultural policy? I don’t think I’m familiar with it.

    • yesman@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      US agriculture policy isn’t Socialist in that workers control the production, but “socialist” in the since that the government controls the markets through subsidies.

      For example, in the 70s their was a crash in dairy prices. To the point where farmers were dumping milk down the drain. (yay capitalism) The Carter admin, seeing the dairy industry as essential to national security (dairy was a way bigger part of the diet back then), bought massive amounts of milk at above market price to keep the farmers afloat.

      You may have heard of “government cheese” as a pejorative toward welfare. Well, that’s where the cheese came from, all that milk that the government owned. People remember the children that got free cheese, but not the farmers who got government cash.

      • TheMurphy@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Aah, I get it then.

        That’s what you call Government Intervention in a Capitalist Economy. The EU also does this every year, where they distribute help to farmers all around the EU to maintain the essential products. But it’s still hard core capitalism.