#bogeyman #BogeymanIssues #politicians #farmers #farmland #voting #China
A politician criticizes his or her opponent for allowing, or at least not being concerned about, China buying up farmland in their state.
Were that true, a governor or state legislature might be hard-pressed to stop it.
A quick fact check showed China purchased no farmland in said state, though it has purchased other non-farm properties there, and farmland elsewhere in the U.S.
It seems to be one of those “bogeyman issues” a politician likes to use to rile up his or her base and avoid talking about issues people really care about.
There might be two reasons farmers might sell their land to China. Either: farmers are going bankrupt because the cost of raising a crop might be more than they get for the crop in the marketplace.
Or, farmers want to retire, and their kids do not want to take over the farm.
The “bogeyman issue” of China interferes with real discussions about government policies that might help farmers.
The farmers trying to make ends meet between costs and crop prices would be helped by the government trying to keep prices down. Starting wars in the Middle East raises prices for fertilizer and diesel fuel, which most farm equipment runs on.
Shutting down USAID, which not only helped starving people around the world, but also gave U.S. farmers a stable market for their products, also did no favors to farmers.
That indicates that government may be contributing to farmers’ distress, rather than trying to help it.
Then, there’s the matter of passing family farms to the next generation. Studies show that only between 15 percent and 35 percent of students who study agriculture in college go on to become hands-on farmers.
Most of the others pursue careers in other parts of agribusiness.
Farming life is hard. One has to love it to deal with so much they can’t control, like the weather, climate change etc.
If students with an interest in agriculture would rather pursue careers in which they might sit at a desk or in a lab, rather than be out in the hot sun working a field, how can you blame them?
It would be tough for any government to incentivize agriculture students to take over farms.
For the retired or retiring farmer, much of his or her nest egg rests in his or her land. If farmers can sell their land for a decent price, regardless of the buyer, why wouldn’t they?
It all goes back to politicians not wanting to discuss issues that affect most people, or that most people care about.
The “bogeyman issues” may get a small percentage of the electorate’s attention, but they do not contribute to solving real problems.
When going to the polls, ask yourself what Person X, presuming he or she is an incumbent or has served in other capacities, has done for you and your needs.
Then, listen to what their opponents say THEY will do for you and your needs. If you don’t like Person X, give Person Y a try.
If Person Y is elected, and doesn’t at least try to fulfill what he or she said he or she would do, then vote for someone else the next time.
Politicians all face realities that inhibit them from being able to do all they promised. But, if they appear to be doing all they can to do so, they deserve the seat.
Whatever your persuasion, you must vote whenever you have the opportunity. Not voting at all is sure to give you someone you don’t want – like a “bogeyman.”
Peter
Tag Archives: China
WORLD IS GETTING OLD — LITERALLY
#aging #demographics #BeingYoung #BeingOld #children #families
China, Japan and other countries are seeing their populations age.
The U.S. is also heading in that direction.
How and why is this happening? People are getting old and dying, but fewer young people are having children to make up for it.
There are all kinds of blame for this to go around. China, for example, once had a one-child policy to control overpopulation, as many of its baby girls were sent elsewhere for adoption.
That policy apparently is now backfiring on the Chinese.
In the U.S. and other developed countries, more young people are putting off having children, or even getting married.
The largest percentage of college students in the U.S. is women, implying that women suddenly are more interested in establishing careers than motherhood.
There are reasons for this. First, many marriages do not last, and women do not want to be left with no way to make a living if a marriage fails.
Second, if a marriage survives, or, even, thrives, two incomes are needed to build a decent life.
Even with two incomes, young people are paying a lot more for necessities than their parents or grandparents did.
Housing, no matter where it is, is in short supply and is expensive. Food costs a lot more than it once did. Consider how the price of eggs affected the last presidential election.
So, being a young person in his or her 20s just beginning adulthood is not necessarily an enviable place. These circumstances have older people celebrating that they are old.
The biggest family expense may be children. They need to be fed, clothed, kept healthy and educated. Even in countries in which the government helps considerably with those expenses, it’s still difficult for young people to have and support families.
In countries in which the government declines to provide sufficient help to families, the challenge is much more difficult.
When both parents work, children need to be cared for. Such childcare often goes unsubsidized, so the parents decide whether one of their jobs is worth that expense. If the answer is no, they are likely to put off having children or quit a job and suffer financially.
Longing for past eras, in which partners played specific family roles, will not bring back those old days.
In short, countries are aging because it is difficult to be young today. If governments want their demographics to improve, they must take action to help young families. It’s great to give young people the freedom to create their own lives, but, today, more often than not, they can’t do it without help.
Moms and dads are finding their financial ties to their children last well into adulthood. This may prevent some from living out their elder years the way they would like.
When mom and dad are gone, their children may miss that support.
So, countries will continue to age. They will continue to struggle finding young workers. They’ll continue to see many family units with only one or two people, and no or few children.
If it’s seen as a problem now, time will only make it worse unless some intervention occurs.
Trying to bring back life from decades past is not a solution. Governments will have to adjust policies to make and grow young families.
If they don’t, the old will continue to age and the young will continue to struggle.
Peter
China, Japan and other countries are seeing their populations age.
The U.S. is also heading in that direction.
How and why is this happening? People are getting old and dying, but fewer young people are having children to make up for it.
There are all kinds of blame for this to go around. China, for example, once had a one-child policy to control overpopulation, as many of its baby girls were sent elsewhere for adoption.
That policy apparently is now backfiring on the Chinese.
In the U.S. and other developed countries, more young people are putting off having children, or even getting married.
The largest percentage of college students in the U.S. is women, implying that women suddenly are more interested in establishing careers than motherhood.
There are reasons for this. First, many marriages do not last, and women do not want to be left with no way to make a living if a marriage fails.
Second, if a marriage survives, or, even, thrives, two incomes are needed to build a decent life.
Even with two incomes, young people are paying a lot more for necessities than their parents or grandparents did.
Housing, no matter where it is, is in short supply and is expensive. Food costs a lot more than it once did. Consider how the price of eggs affected the last presidential election.
So, being a young person in his or her 20s just beginning adulthood is not necessarily an enviable place. These circumstances have older people celebrating that they are old.
The biggest family expense may be children. They need to be fed, clothed, kept healthy and educated. Even in countries in which the government helps considerably with those expenses, it’s still difficult for young people to have and support families.
In countries in which the government declines to provide sufficient help to families, the challenge is much more difficult.
When both parents work, children need to be cared for. Such childcare often goes unsubsidized, so the parents decide whether one of their jobs is worth that expense. If the answer is no, they are likely to put off having children or quit a job and suffer financially.
Longing for past eras, in which partners played specific family roles, will not bring back those old days.
In short, countries are aging because it is difficult to be young today. If governments want their demographics to improve, they must take action to help young families. It’s great to give young people the freedom to create their own lives, but, today, more often than not, they can’t do it without help.
Moms and dads are finding their financial ties to their children last well into adulthood. This may prevent some from living out their elder years the way they would like.
When mom and dad are gone, their children may miss that support.
So, countries will continue to age. They will continue to struggle finding young workers. They’ll continue to see many family units with only one or two people, and no or few children.
If it’s seen as a problem now, time will only make it worse unless some intervention occurs.
Trying to bring back life from decades past is not a solution. Governments will have to adjust policies to make and grow young families.
If they don’t, the old will continue to age and the young will continue to struggle.
Peter