The Trouble with Hoarding

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/05/05/f-food-prices-rice.html

The food crisis is similar to the Toronto School Catholic School Board scandal: hoarding anything that was meant for all benefits a few. There are no laws against this vile habit, and would be very difficult to enforce. Those that control the food markets are exploiting workers and the poor, where the source of income comes from everyone’s pockets, including their own. The only difference is that they can afford it while the poor and the workers cannot, and are forced to face hard conditions that would see a rise in debts, deaths, starvation and crime, all in the name of food, of that essential lifesource. The current wages today, what would be considered luxury in the old years, are not enough. Welfare checks and alms in pennies to grubby worn hands are not enough for even a quarter of a meal.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the rice barons are reaping in huge profits stained in blood. Don’t you dare take this as an economic opportunity. Since January of 2008, the price of rice has shot up to $1000 American per ton. Almost three-quarters of the earth is drenched in poverty, and have rice as an essential meal as well as a source of labour income, which probably isn’t much considering the hyperinflation of their currencies in their homelands, which once were self-sustaining before globalization and free markets. Those has brought nothing but a burdensome ruin to their homeland. The mouths themselves are to blame, numbers broad in digits, say few. That few also offer some startlingly weak and flimsy ideas to stave off this crux of the rice crisis, like… wait for it… find new strains of rice to improve yields and withstand drought, and pump more investment in irrigation and water conservation.

Good God. What could be more weak and stupid of an idea than that?

I am not an economist, but I have a few suggestions as I have previously laid out in an older entry: stop importing foreign foods freely, and start importing foreign foods that are tariffed. The poorer nations aught to introduce a tariff system on all imports, with steep tariffs at a flat rate for all goods from the wealthiest and second-world countries, and reasonable, fair tariffs at a flat rate for fellow third-world nations. Our country aught to impose steep tariffs on wealthy nations too, but also impose moderate if not little tariffs on imports from second-world nations, and no tariffs on third-world countries. Second world countries aught to do impose steep tariffs on industrial nations, moderate tariffs on second-world nations, and none on third-world nations. People who also own houses aught to be provided tools, supplies and education on creating their own garden, on growing their own food. People in the industrial nations should purchase less and eat less out of solidarity for the poor and the worker, and to stretch out their meal habits, meaning eat as little as you can for less time between. Maybe a snack during the say, but one, and once a week. Some people aught to grow food and home-make-it, then give it to the poor.