I hope the average Iowa voter realizes that it they elect Chris Jones as Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, they must also elect a legislature and governor that will support him. Jones can't clean up Iowa alone.
Well Ed I am cautiously optimistic about the Governorship, but the legislature is a captive group beholden to Big Ag, end of story. Not to mention in the tank for Christian Nationalism. Thank God there is no censor here like Wapo where this post would be nuked in a heartbeat. I read all of Art's posts, and like this one, I usually cringe at finding out things are way worse than I thought, but I also feel more enlightened about the reality of life in the Hawkeye State. There are some great Substacks these days, HCR, Contrarians, P. Krugman, but none of them know the smell of a hog confinement facility in the morning if you happen to be down wind. Art is a our own version of a National Treasure, and that is not BS!
William Moore, there’s a quotation wrongly attributed to Albert Einstein, but I think is nevertheless true:
“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.”
I’m not well informed about Iowa politics or Iowa agriculture (yet), but I do read Art Cullen, Heather Cox Richardson, and Krugman. They're well informed about the facts connected with politics and the behavior of wealthy corporations. More importantly, they also understand what those facts mean. Understanding is hard to find partly because many politicians and business people involved in public debates aren't interested in either finding or understanding the facts. They’re interested, instead, in lying about the facts to confuse people and they're dedicated to serving their own interests rather than the interests of the American people.
First and foremost, I agree with everything you are saying, Art!
The Big System - and the massive logistics, buildings, feed processing and distribution, supporting industries, etc. - that all of this enormous consolidation has brought to everyone and everything will not be easy to change. The Bigs, and the Big Power and the decades of Cropaganda they have bought and paid for, will fight to keep it going every step of the way. The smaller diverse farms and small businesses that have been lost won't be simple or fast to bring back. But change it must, and all the profit in the world isn't making this current system sustainable or resilient.
Public awareness and better policy is a good start. I'm grateful for the courage of humans like Chris Jones and Art Cullen in moving the needle toward something better.
Corporations have been trying to to reinvent Slavery since Emancipation.
If you have Water, you have something they don’t have. As for slave labor, they have already exceeded the advantage of the Antebellum Planter. No accommodation or food is offered. No limit to the disposable humanity on hand. And the from birth conditioning that ones worth is measured by their job. The Kool Aide has been served and gulped down. This will not change until the toxic pollution placed securely between the Ears is cleansed.
If we can put a man on the moon, surely we can solve this current corporate oligarchy problem; straining our resources, polluting our environment and funneling untold capital away from our state. We need a 'Sunday come to Jesus' collaborative effort between our state elected officials, our universities and our farmers. Is such a thing even possible? Look at the moon.
I'm all for anyone that goes after Big Meat, but let's be real:
This DOJ ain't "laser focused" on the issue. They're spending hella more resources on bogus-guaranteed-to-fail prosecution of Mango Mussolini's perceived enemies, anti-DEI litigation of esteemed universities, & intrusive & unconstitutional interference is states' election procedures, etc.
I got nothing but respect fer ya, compadre, but the Blanche quote ain't worth a bucket of spit. He's as crooked as a ditch dug by a drunk.
great insight once again young art, keep up the valiant fight, after watching clips of the debacle at the white house i am basically embarrassed and scared(all at the same time), in the name of sanity can we please bring these lunatics to some sort of sanity, and we wonder why are streams, rivers and lakes look like sewage lagoons...
I hope the average Iowa voter realizes that it they elect Chris Jones as Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, they must also elect a legislature and governor that will support him. Jones can't clean up Iowa alone.
Well Ed I am cautiously optimistic about the Governorship, but the legislature is a captive group beholden to Big Ag, end of story. Not to mention in the tank for Christian Nationalism. Thank God there is no censor here like Wapo where this post would be nuked in a heartbeat. I read all of Art's posts, and like this one, I usually cringe at finding out things are way worse than I thought, but I also feel more enlightened about the reality of life in the Hawkeye State. There are some great Substacks these days, HCR, Contrarians, P. Krugman, but none of them know the smell of a hog confinement facility in the morning if you happen to be down wind. Art is a our own version of a National Treasure, and that is not BS!
William Moore, there’s a quotation wrongly attributed to Albert Einstein, but I think is nevertheless true:
“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.”
I’m not well informed about Iowa politics or Iowa agriculture (yet), but I do read Art Cullen, Heather Cox Richardson, and Krugman. They're well informed about the facts connected with politics and the behavior of wealthy corporations. More importantly, they also understand what those facts mean. Understanding is hard to find partly because many politicians and business people involved in public debates aren't interested in either finding or understanding the facts. They’re interested, instead, in lying about the facts to confuse people and they're dedicated to serving their own interests rather than the interests of the American people.
Tables for Chris Jones are appearing at Farmers Markets. Volunteer!
First and foremost, I agree with everything you are saying, Art!
The Big System - and the massive logistics, buildings, feed processing and distribution, supporting industries, etc. - that all of this enormous consolidation has brought to everyone and everything will not be easy to change. The Bigs, and the Big Power and the decades of Cropaganda they have bought and paid for, will fight to keep it going every step of the way. The smaller diverse farms and small businesses that have been lost won't be simple or fast to bring back. But change it must, and all the profit in the world isn't making this current system sustainable or resilient.
Public awareness and better policy is a good start. I'm grateful for the courage of humans like Chris Jones and Art Cullen in moving the needle toward something better.
I agree 100% The change in Iowa Agriculture has been sad to watch.
Purchased a one pound New York Strip Steak at Beaverdale Fareway - price was $19 plus per pound. Back to tube steak.
Work from these two thoughts:
Water is the New Oil
Corporations have been trying to to reinvent Slavery since Emancipation.
If you have Water, you have something they don’t have. As for slave labor, they have already exceeded the advantage of the Antebellum Planter. No accommodation or food is offered. No limit to the disposable humanity on hand. And the from birth conditioning that ones worth is measured by their job. The Kool Aide has been served and gulped down. This will not change until the toxic pollution placed securely between the Ears is cleansed.
If we can put a man on the moon, surely we can solve this current corporate oligarchy problem; straining our resources, polluting our environment and funneling untold capital away from our state. We need a 'Sunday come to Jesus' collaborative effort between our state elected officials, our universities and our farmers. Is such a thing even possible? Look at the moon.
I'm all for anyone that goes after Big Meat, but let's be real:
This DOJ ain't "laser focused" on the issue. They're spending hella more resources on bogus-guaranteed-to-fail prosecution of Mango Mussolini's perceived enemies, anti-DEI litigation of esteemed universities, & intrusive & unconstitutional interference is states' election procedures, etc.
I got nothing but respect fer ya, compadre, but the Blanche quote ain't worth a bucket of spit. He's as crooked as a ditch dug by a drunk.
great insight once again young art, keep up the valiant fight, after watching clips of the debacle at the white house i am basically embarrassed and scared(all at the same time), in the name of sanity can we please bring these lunatics to some sort of sanity, and we wonder why are streams, rivers and lakes look like sewage lagoons...
Purchased a one pound New York Strip steak at Beaverdale Fareway. Cost = $19+ per pound. Back to tube steak.