In an attempt to appease the rural, white casualties of his widely-decried trade war, President Donald Trump announced billions of dollars in federal aid to farmers, many of whom make up his base of proud Americans who hate big government, welfare and “those people” who are always asking for a handout.
According to the Washington Post, Vladimir Putin’s Executive Vice President of U.S. Operations unveiled a $12 billion package of emergency aid for farmers caught up in his trade war with China, Canada, the European Union and every other country except Russia and a “shithole” to be named later.
“These programs are being deliberately put together in order to allow us to respond to unwarranted trade retaliation,” said Jason Hafemeister, USDA’s Trade Counsel to the Secretary in a thinly-veiled attempt to quiet criticism from farmers.
The plan will go into effect in September and will try to help soybean, corn, pork and dairy farmers by purchasing food and surplus beef from farmers. The package also sets aside billions in direct assistance.
I know what you’re thinking, but just because the plan hands out billions in taxpayer funds doesn’t mean that the Trump administration is offering government assistance to farmers. Didn’t you read the previous paragraph? It’s “direct assistance.” “Direct” is an action word. It’s powerful, unlike the weak and tepid “welfare!”
Everyone knows what Donald Trump thinks about welfare. Just in case you don’t here’s a reminder:
This is different. Obama had a social welfare program to fight poverty that gave taxpayer-funded welfare handouts. The Trump Administration is going to send the money direct deposit so it won’t go into anyone’s hands. Therefore, by definition, it’s not a handout. It’s a taxpayer-funded program to fight poverty for white people, and everyone knows if white people get it, it’s not welfare.
Trust me, black people won’t get any of this money. According to 2012 U.S. Census figures (pdf) of the more than 2.1 million farms in America, only 33,371 (or 1.6 percent) were owned by a black principal operator.
Even still, direct payments to white farmers average three times the amount received by black farmers. The average subsidy to a white farmer is four times what the average black farmer receives, according to the Environmental Workers Group.
Plus, the United States Department of Agriculture will be administering the Trump plan for white welfare. In 1999, black farmers won a lawsuit against the department charging that they had discriminated against black farmers for years. In 2010, Barack Obama signed legislation ordering a payout of more than $1.2 billion.
But the farmers had to sue the USDA again because the department blocked some of the black farmers from receiving payouts. In 2017 a judge ruled against the USDA and ordered the USDA to pay another $1 billion to the farmers.
Unless the Trump Administration decides not to accept the ruling.
You know those black farmers ...
Always looking for a handout.