National Farmers Union Head Scorches Trump

[Shabibilicious]

Politics

National Farmers Union Head Scorches Trump: He's Offended 'Pretty Much Every Ally' On Earth

 Mary Papenfuss,HuffPost 2 hours 10 minutes ago 

 

• 

The president of the National Farmers Union has leveled an astonishingly frank broadside against President Donald Trump, who rural voters largely supported in the 2016 election.

Trade group leader Roger Johnson said in a radio interview Thursday that it will take “decades” to reverse damage caused by Trump. China, he added, is now a “lost market” for American farmers because of Trump’s trade war.

Trump has “offended the leaders of pretty much every ally we have on Earth,” and America’s reputation in markets around the world has taken a long-lasting hit, Johnson said in an interview on KFGO radio in Fargo, North Dakota. “It’s going to take much different behavior from future presidents in order to repair this damage,” he said.

Johnson, whose organization represents some 200,000 family farms, ranches and fishing enterprises in 33 states, agreed that China needs to be “held to account” for trade relationships and behavior. But he said that Trump would have been wiser to approach the world’s second-largest economy with a team of allies.

“I would ... argue that it would be far more effective if we did it with the rest of world, instead of first ticking off the rest of the world and then trying to do it all by ourself,” he said.

As for how Trump is dealing with China, Johnson added: “I don’t think you can expect to make the fundamental changes that are being asked of China while every other day you’re offending them, you’re forcing them to lose face. No country’s going to make changes when they’re embarrassed along the way. That’s just not how you do things.”

He said “a lot of folks believe that China needs to be held accountable,” but it’s the way it’s being done that’s troubling. “You’re increasingly going to find people who sort of say, ‘This was just a mistake. This isn’t the way you solve a real problem. It’s just making things worse.’”

He called many of Trump’s policy decisions “very harmful to agriculture; all the trade disruption has been enormously damaging.”

Johnson said the U.S. will suffer “reputational damage ... for literally decades.” He also noted that “trade actions that this president have taken have done damage to lots of other parts of the economy” as well.

Johnson slammed the decision by the Environmental Protection Agency — reportedly ordered by Trump — to grant waivers to 31 petroleum refineries effectively exempting them from having to use more corn-based ethanol in their products. It was yet another blow to struggling corn farmers in deference to what Johnson called the “wealthiest oil companies on the face of the planet.” 

KFGO interviewer Joel Heitkamp noted: “You can see how mad ag producers are when they see that big oil got the exemptions ... it’s like the light finally got turned on and some of these guys woke up.”

Farmers “are in a lot of financial stress right now; net farm income is half of what it was six years ago,” said Johnson.

“This is really tough,” he warned. “We’re in a really, really difficult spot right now.”

 

https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/national-farmers-union-roger-johnson-trump-trade-war-china-113451905.html

 

GO RV, then BV

[bostonangler]

You reap what you sow.....

Farmers go ahead and vote for him again and you'll be moving off your farms and working for Amazon.

 

B/A

[jaybake]

I think this man is speaking out too early.  Trump will triumph at the end.  Yes, we will go through pain, but as the saying goes, "No pain no gain".  Isn't that the truth.   If you lift weight or doing some kind of exercises, you would understand what I mean. lol

[Shabibilicious]

41 minutes ago, jaybake said:

I think this man is speaking out too early.  Trump will triumph at the end.  Yes, we will go through pain, but as the saying goes, "No pain no gain".  Isn't that the truth.   If you lift weight or doing some kind of exercises, you would understand what I mean. lol

 

Are you a farmer, jay?  If so, is it your only source of income?  Did the bad spring weather afford you the opportunity to plant?  If not, do you have crop insurance?  What crops do you normally farm?  Did you receive Trump's farm subsidies check this year?  If so, was it enough to cover your losses and pay any creditors or lessors you're contractually beholden to?......and last but not least...how much do you bench?  

 

GO RV, then BV

Edited August 30, 2019 by Shabibilicious

[coorslite21]

Quite a bit to dissect in this story......Many of the Northern farmers have been short changed with some of the crops they grow compared to some farmers in the south....worse is this crop insurance......it is only valid if the crops have been planted....and with all the flooding many midwestern/northern farmers never got a crop planted.....

 

Biofuels....ethanol especially is a joke.......it takes 1 unit of energy to create 1 unit of energy.....no net gain......and we're just burning up a food source ....for what?

Biofuels using sugar cane have a 7-1 return.........the whole US ethanol project is just another feel good green project....

 

Trump is right about China and the unbalanced US trade with many countries....for decades zero Presidents have attempted to do anything about it......just the status quo.....he's attempting to level the playing field....

 

As to Mr. Johnson.....he is one man with an opinion....history indicates he might be one of those overly partisan individuals.....(both sides have them)........

 

Roger Johnson (politician) - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Johnson_(politician)

 

CL

 

 

[Shabibilicious]

38 minutes ago, coorslite21 said:

Quite a bit to dissect in this story......Many of the Northern farmers have been short changed with some of the crops they grow compared to some farmers in the south....worse is this crop insurance......it is only valid if the crops have been planted....and with all the flooding many midwestern/northern farmers never got a crop planted.....

 

Biofuels....ethanol especially is a joke.......it takes 1 unit of energy to create 1 unit of energy.....no net gain......and we're just burning up a food source ....for what?

Biofuels using sugar cane have a 7-1 return.........the whole US ethanol project is just another feel good green project....

 

Trump is right about China and the unbalanced US trade with many countries....for decades zero Presidents have attempted to do anything about it......just the status quo.....he's attempting to level the playing field....

 

As to Mr. Johnson.....he is one man with an opinion....history indicates he might be one of those overly partisan individuals.....(both sides have them)........

 

Roger Johnson (politician) - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Johnson_(politician)

 

CL

 

 

 

The glaring difference is biofuels can be regrown.....for fossil fuels, the process takes eons longer.  Probably best to ration those to some degree.  All that said, my car gets horrible fuel mileage with E85....Thank goodness I can use either both.  

 

GO RV, then BV

[jaybake]

1 hour ago, Shabibilicious said:

 

Are you a farmer, jay?  If so, is it your only source of income?  Did the bad spring weather afford you the opportunity to plant?  If not, do you have crop insurance?  What crops do you normally farm?  Did you receive Trump's farm subsidies check this year?  If so, was it enough to cover your losses and pay any creditors or lessors you're contractually beholden to?......and last but not least...how much do you bench?  

 

GO RV, then BV

You missed my point.  Eventually, Trump is going to win in this deal, but it takes a little bit of patient and pain to go through with it. Changes for good brings pain but short live, but prosperity will come as a result. lol

[Shabibilicious]

3 minutes ago, jaybake said:

You missed my point.  Eventually, Trump is going to win in this deal, but it takes a little bit of patient and pain to go through with it. Changes for good brings pain but short live, but prosperity will come as a result. lol

 

Understood.  However you also missed my point.  I must conclude from you statement that you're not a farmer and I certainly am not either.....It just seems quite cavalier to basically tell farmers to suck it up and take the pain for the greater good and if they lose their farms in the process, so be it, if we achieve a better trade deal in the end, when neither you or I are actually farmers feeling that pain.  Know what I mean?  Now the ones who actually voted for Trump.....that's on them, they need to own it. 

 

GO RV, then BV

[jaybake]

7 hours ago, Shabibilicious said:

 

Understood.  However you also missed my point.  I must conclude from you statement that you're not a farmer and I certainly am not either.....It just seems quite cavalier to basically tell farmers to suck it up and take the pain for the greater good and if they lose their farms in the process, so be it, if we achieve a better trade deal in the end, when neither you or I are actually farmers feeling that pain.  Know what I mean?  Now the ones who actually voted for Trump.....that's on them, they need to own it. 

 

GO RV, then BV

I hear you.  I am only just stating the principle in life. Life does not promise you smooth sailing, sometimes we'll go through rough water. As these farmers, I am sure the government would help them go through this rough water, but at the end, the trade would be good for them. lol

[Sage449]

And growing so much corn for ethanol that its shelled out onto the bare ground, not covered and left to mold and rot. Sounds like delivering rice or wheat to a 3rd world country and the country having it offloaded onto the dock. And it's left to mold and rot, never sees those in need. 

[cranman]

8 hours ago, Shabibilicious said:

 

Understood.  However you also missed my point.  I must conclude from you statement that you're not a farmer and I certainly am not either.....It just seems quite cavalier to basically tell farmers to suck it up and take the pain for the greater good and if they lose their farms in the process, so be it, if we achieve a better trade deal in the end, when neither you or I are actually farmers feeling that pain.  Know what I mean?  Now the ones who actually voted for Trump.....that's on them, they need to own it. 

 

GO RV, then BV

Do you not think it's worth a little pain to correct a trade imbalance.  It will be painful for the farmers but the president has to think long term and nation wide. In the end it will beneficial for everyone. When you work for/ with the government you are the whim of their decision when dealing with foreign trade issues. Kind of like working for manufacturing company that has to conduct temporarily layoffs to restructure and rebuild. You will come back to a better and stronger company.  In theory anyway.   How would you go about correcting the trade imbalance without affecting any industry ? Just curious. 

[yota691]

99% of the Farmers here support Trump, an Yes I have Family in the biz....

2 hours ago, cranman said:

Do you not think it's worth a little pain to correct a trade imbalance.

and they do realize what you are referring too...

[gregp]

Johnson slammed the decision by the Environmental Protection Agency — reportedly ordered by Trump — to grant waivers to 31 petroleum refineries effectively exempting them from having to use more corn-based ethanol in their products. 

 

THANK GOD!!!!

ETHANOL = Yet One more jacked up Obummer Brain Fart killing our vehicles. 

 

The farmers complained we were taking the food source to make ethanol, and now their complaining to go back. 

 

Obummer was a Chicago thug (stated by his own people in Chicago) He strong armed is deals.  That’s why he gets along with the Clintons. They are all dictators.  

It’s their way or death.  El Chapo ain’t got crap on this deep state clan.  

[8th ID]

7 hours ago, yota691 said:

99% of the Farmers here support system" rel="">support Trump, an Yes I have Family in the biz....

and they do realize what you are referring too...

I agree...the farmers I know, and I know quite a few, all support the President in what he is doing. They have all said the same as well, the short term pain will make a long term gain. They get it, they understand it.

[gregp]

4 minutes ago, 8th ID said:

I agree...the farmers I know, and I know quite a few, all support system" rel="">support the President in what he is doing. They have all said the same as well, the short term pain will make a long term gain. They get it, they understand it.

 

Agreed.