The Z Spot

Bush’s Hypocrisy- Subsidies
Alright. As an SUV-driving Republican, this is going to be quite a shock coming from me, but I read a New York Times article today that just got me going.

Bush was cited as having made negative comments about countries which subsidize fuel for their citizens and businesses. Now, this really gets me going. Coming from the president of a country that subsidizes agriculture, and even agriculture to be used for fuel.

How can Bush comment on the effects that fuel subsidies in the developing world have on global supply and demand? Our subsidies on corn, including corn used in ethanol production, affected the global supply and demand of food. Yes, fuel is necessary for American industry. But from a politician’s standpoint, is the effect on industry, or the complaints of a bunch of SUV-driving rich folks what the government is worried about? The reality of it is that the way that we consume fuel in the United States is a luxury. We could easily cut back on our fuel consumption without really hurting our healths or standards of living in a tangible way.

So, basically, subsidies are okay when they cause riots and put the world’s poor at risk of starvation, but when they threaten the luxury of the world’s richest people, they’re not?

Don’t get me wrong. I think that fuel subsidies are terrible. I also think food subsidies in the U.S. are terrible. I would be all for NAFTA or the WTO or any other trade organization totally eliminating subsidies worldwide or within specific trading blocks. However, I’m getting sick of the U.S., and in particular “Republicans,” spouting off about Capitalist values overseas, and seeking to impose free market economics on the world’s poor, while meanwhile, we continue mildly socialist, and certainly not free market subsidies here.

It’s no surprise (at least to people who understand and truly support Libertarian or Capitalist economics) that the United States is not the Capitalist mecca we claim to be. The shift of both parties toward the center, particularly on social services and economics, hasn’t happened overnight. What really bothers me is that the Republicans we elect have the balls to espouse capitalist economic values abroad while continuing to turn their back on our own subsidies.
Posted by Zach at 1:34 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: economics, fuel prices, George Bush, new york times, subsidies

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