Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Sectionalism - Rural Life Under Attack

I have said over and over the last few weeks that at this point rural America has but one course it can take. I still mean that. We have only one road at the moment but there are still many possible events that can open up new ones or even change the direction of the one we have.

Let's look at it straight my friends. There are several things on the agenda by the current administration and other Liberal Democrats that spell down right destruction for rural America and we don't even need to get into conspiracy theories like agenda 21 to find them.

Cap and trade regulations are wealth killers for any one running livestock, using machinery or who rely in whole or in part on alternative forms of heat. These taxes and credits may not be actual bans but they amount to the same in so many ways.

EPA regulations encompass most of the above but also expand even more as another form of oppression. Refusing to cut ethanol subsidies, claiming every ditch that ever carried a cup of runoff as a waterway and regulating stock ponds are just a  few examples of the ways the EPA is hurting small farmers and rural residents.

Labor laws cut deep into family farms banning teenagers born and raised on a farm from operating machinery or vehicles and participating in work that has been a staple of rural life for generations. In turn this causes an industry already beset by low margins to hire outside help and further cut into their profitability.

Energy policies. Attacks on coal mining is also an attack on rural America and will destroy the livelihood of many a family but it will also impact agricultural areas as well. You may complain about rising fuel costs but keep in mind agricultural endeavors require a much higher amount of fuel consumption each year than simple transportation. Not to mention rising electric costs coupled with the above mentioned regulations on alternative heating further damage family farms.  

The so called inheritance tax. This alone is cause enough for many a family farmer to take up arms. It is one thing for some city dweller to complain that the rich guy down the street shouldn't be able to leave his entire estate to his offspring tax free. It is another thing to take away an entire families property for the same reason. Farms have value yes but that values is completely different and pays off at a much lower rate than a factory or service company. With the inflated land values of today's government subsidized housing industry it doesn't take much acreage (especially in some areas) to get well above the 3 million dollar cut off fort he inheritance tax. Which in turn means the child of a farmer would need to shell out many hundreds of thousands of dollars that he won't have to retain the family's property that would make very little in return. Another words it is what kills small family farms and the the Liberals want to re-institute it.

Gun control is another issue that hits rural America hard. Those black rifles or magazine boxes may scare the hell out of city dwellers but for a rural person they are lifesavers. Not only human life but the lives of stock, pets and other wildlife. Ever seen a  pack of feral dogs killing a calf? A colt? Ever witnessed the damage a group of feral pigs can do? When you are limited to some bolt action "hunting" weapon you don't really get rid of the problem you only defend against more damage for a short term. Not to mention the second amendment was not about hunting anyway but that is another discussion.

These are just a few of the ways that rural America is under attack. There are others but these are some of the major ones off the top of my head. Tomorrow I will explore some reasons given why rural America cannot go it's own way and hopefully show they are false.

Until then

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!



8 comments:

  1. I agree with everything you say as long as these farmers are not getting a government hand out.

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    1. Rothbardian - Thanks for Commenting!!! We once bought a piece of land that was in CRP and left it there for the amount of time it was signed up for. There were some rules and I never really understood the grand scheme in the government offering it. I have read many times about other farms getting government money for this or that maybe it is a size thing because I have never seen where it was really offered to anyone I knew directly.

      Perhaps you know more about it than I do but it appears to be a big corporate farm benefit not offered tot he smaller family operations. If you know differently I would welcome any input.

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  2. The Left wants to move everyone to the city for better control of our life.

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    1. Rob - Well sometimes the agenda 21 theory does seem to hold water doesn't it?

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  3. because of the many reasons you have listed, i have kept my homestead and small acreage in a rather unkempt, unimproved way...even our house, from the outside looks like what i paid for it thirty years ago...any improvements to property should be subtle and not immediately noticed by the naked eye. my hubby and i have spent the last fifteen years making our simple home handicap accessible, so that we caan remain at home in comfort and safety. any big ticket changes are so subtle they are barely noticed by the insurance agent and the tax man. we are rather private people as well and live in the middle of the woods that we planted. and we do not have those security lights on a telephone pole that the electric power company rents either. what a person does not see in the dark of night is good security for us.

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    1. Anon - Good measures to have. Hiding is not a luxury I have however. In fact I am pretty exposed which is not generally that common around here. Lots of arable land but little cover I guess you could say. Anything I do is out there for all to see.

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  4. hey buddy - all of your points are relevant like usual! however, i am not here for that i am here to say Happy American Thanksgiving!

    we are celebrating today. and we are celebrating all of the things that we are grateful for - which, of course includes friendship. you have been a great buddy and have done more than your fair share to make certain that jambaloney is alive - bahahahahaha! i hope that you have a fantastic day tomorrow...and know that when we say Grace before our meal today....we'll be saying your name in the list of all of the friendships that we are grateful for.

    your friend,
    kymber

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    1. You and Jamby as well Kymber. Have a wonderful Kimche-free Thanksgiving :)

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