Sen(ile). Lugar Proposes Destruction of the American Farmer

May 10 (EIRNS) -- The much aged Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) and certain House Democrats called for a new Farm Law, the "Food and Risk Management for the 21st Century Act (FARM 21), that would drop subsidies for corn, wheat, rice, cotton and soybeans, to "get in line" with more globalized trade. The initiative was announced this morning by Lugar, along with U.S. Reps. Ron Kind (D-Wisconsin), Jeff Flake (R-Arizona), Joseph Crowley (D-NY) and Dave Riechert (R-WA), at a Capitol Hill press conference. The draft bill will be introduced in a few days. Lugar's press release described the bill as one to "end the current market and trade distorting farm subsidy system and replace it with a new system of risk management accounts and insurance tools managed by farmers." In effect, agriculture by hedge fund methods.

In addition, Lugar is pushing the idiotic "carbon farming." He has personally signed up his Indiana farm on the Chicago Climate Exchange, to sell annual carbon emissions allowances he proffers by using no-till methods, to enhance retention of CO2 in the soil. Lugar today crassly promoted his "FARM 21" bill, by saying that "savings" from paying out farm subsidies, would free up multi-billions of dollars for other purposes, including $3 billion for renewable energy, and $6 billion for nutrition programs for the needy. He met with actress Drew Barrymore--booster for Friends of the World Food Program, on providing more U.S. food aid to children.