Farming Hypocrisy

Announcing that it would help Kentucky farmers harmed by a drought, the federal Department of Agriculture allowed Kentuckians to almost bathe in their hypocrisy.

The Blue-Grass state overwhelmingly supported Senator McCain in the presidential election. I can’t say the economic platform of president-elect Obama was the main reason for the outcome, but it probably played some role. Giving aid to suffering farmers sounds like “spreading the wealth around” to me, something Obama looks to do in the upcoming years.

Farmers in all states tend to lean conservative. However, plans similar to this fall way left in the political spectrum. As Thomas Frank in his book, "What’s the Matter with Kansas?", examines, Americans will vote against potential economic benefit. Though the state does have a Democratic House of Representatives, the farmers of Kentucky provide a ripe example of this theory.

The initiative itself befuddles me. Just because these farmers endured an unlucky year does not mean I and other taxpayers need to save them. Does the American Government bear the responsibility to give a hand to gamblers who just had a bad year? No. Farming and gambling actually contain many similarities. Both involve a lot of prayer, and neither requires a college degree.