Using the Feudalism Formula to Destroy Private Ranchers
The Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (FARFA) distributed an email regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed animal ID program. This would require identifying and certifying all interstate livestock transportation (registration). All animals would be micro-chipped, with all the attendant expense from investing in technology, bookkeeping, and hiring new bureaucrats to oversee the program.
This is allegedly about preventing disease outbreaks. (Gun control rationale: “If it saves one life, it’s worth it.”)
Here’s another example of banning something–in this case free enterprise–because something bad might happen. The bottom line is that this government regulation would benefit bureaucrats and large agribusinesses, while burying small ranchers under the expense of following the new rules. As FARFA notes:
“These new regulations will harm rural businesses while wasting taxpayer dollars that could be better spent on the real problems we face in controlling animal disease, food security, and food safety.”
Since 1990, Agribusiness has donated over half a billion dollars to federal election campaigns. Even though the sector traditionally gives 68% to Republicans, Obama–whose USDA is promoting this anti-business regulation–was the second-biggest recipient in 2008, and is currently the third-biggest for the 2012 election cycle. Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow is the top recipient. She just coincidentally happens to be Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, which of course oversees the USDA.
You can submit comments to the USDA here. Ask them to consider the following points:
- If there is value in animal ID, then exporters and businesses growing meat for export should pay the costs and offer economic premiums to livestock producers to encourage them to participate in a voluntary system.
- If there’s some value in this proposal, why aren’t agribusinesses stepping forward to lead on this using free market dynamics?
This proposal would simply cost jobs and damage the economy by stymieing exports, small business, and free enterprise.
Urge the USDA to withdraw their proposed animal ID rule. This is just another attempt by feudalists to use fear to induce us to surrender more Liberty in the name of safety, knowing that while we won’t be any safer, the government will be safer from us.
This would require identifying and certifying all interstate livestock transportation (registration). All animals would be micro-chipped, with all the attendant expense from investing in technology, bookkeeping, and hiring new bureaucrats to oversee the program.
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, creamed micro-chipped beef on toast.
This sounds just like the concern over lead based paint in children’s toys.
Mattell had to recall toys manufactured in China because of lead in the paint.
New laws forced all businesses to test each and every part that they used in making toys and clothes for children. Large manufacturers like Mattel were exempted because they have their own testing laboritories.
The net effect: small businesses could not survive under such onerous rules, and got out of the toy making business. The large manufacturers have been able to take a larger share of the domestic toy market.
If the animal ID program is implemented, small farmers and ranchers will be forced out of the market. Does anyone really think that will make our food any safer?
And every time a microchipped animal leaves its home farm, the federal government must be notified of all details: where, how long you’ll be gone, why, when you come back. Every time you take any stock to a show (including 4H), or take your horse on a trail ride, you have to inform the federal government. And livestock includes chickens.
It’s a ridiculous law and should be repealed at once.
Will the animals be held responsible for the notification when they leave their owner’s property without his consent?
This “Bureaucrats Full Employment Act” idea falls in line with the attempt earlier this year to require farmers to obtain commercial drivers licenses if they drove their tractors on the road between fields. According to the linked article, the Department of Transportation backed down on that regulation. It would’ve required farmers to maintain drivers logs and a host of other reporting requirements.
The program has existed for some time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Animal_Identification_System). Federally, it’s still “voluntary” but some states have made it mandatory. No exemptions for religious beliefs about computer technology; there have been Amish arrested in Wisconsin (ID chips are mandatory on the state level) for failure to comply.
(I do not know but am curious about the halal status of chipped animals.)
Where does “feudalism” come into this?
What do you get when corpirates and prostiticians conspire to destroy Liberty? Where do you think you’ll end up on the food chain?
http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2011/10/10/redefining-modern-politics-and-economics/
This kind of overreach would be easier to block and reverse if rural activists took steps to link up with urban activists of like mind. City voters have more control over national policies than rural voters. The Farm Bureau has the resources to do the outreach and initiate alliances.
Hallo,
Du betreibst hier einen echt interessanten Blog zum Thema The PJ Tatler » Using the Feudalism Formula to Destroy Private Ranchers
Die Bundesbank schliesst die Auflage von Eurobonds nicht mehr aus. Das bedeutet gemeinschaftliche Kontrolle über die Haushalte der Euroländer, inklusive Durchgriffsrechten, sollten einzelne Mitgliedsländer die vereinbarten Regeln missachten.
Eigentlich kann man hier nur sprachlos sein…
Diese Sache geht jeden etwas an! Ich habe Deine Webseite http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2011/11/29/using-the-feudalism-formula-to-destroy-private-ranchers/ unter mister wong gespeichert.
Wir freuen uns
Irina Pavelich