>>I just finished my first reading of "Fast Food Nation"
I also recommend it...I think the author makes a lot of good points, but unfortunately, after making all these valid points, felt then need to them blame it all on one political party. IMO, all politicians deserve some of the blame, and to lay the blame on a single party, imo, distracted from the valid points the author tried to make...he should have left the ploitics out.
As far as the small farmer, its ineveitable, imo, that most will be run out of business except for the niche farmers that can sell directly to consumers that are willing to pay the true cost of the production, for a better food (i.e. organic for example, or free range).
As someone else said, whats happening to the small farmer, is the same thing happening to the small hardware store, small supermarkets, small (fill-in-the-blank).
The real blame lies with all of us (at least most of us). Who among us does not shop around for the lowest (or close to lowest) price when making most purchases? Who among us is willing to pay 10-15% more on all of our tools so that the local Hardware store can stay in business? Very few of us are willing to do that all the time...I try to, and sometimes will pay a little more for the convenience of getting something local, but I'd wager that not many people are willing to do it all, or even most of the time...we all want someone else to patronize those local stores so that they stay in business while we shop from the cheapest-discount interent retailer for our own purchases.
Even in the town about 20 miles from me, they have fought tooth and nail to keep walmart out of town, but yet, many of those same people will drive the 20 miles a few towns away, when they want to go shopping....hypocrites if you ask me.
Kind of like those SUV's with the "Save the Earth" bumper stickers...
