Oil and Milk

tkane

triplem_uk wrote: »

This is crazy. I thought we lived in a free market. If a farmer is selling milk to supermarkets at a loss then it's their own fault. Any business needs to make a profit. It's the race to the bottom on so many things which ruins in the long run.

His own fault? Actually it's called market failure and it is the duty of the government to step in.

cells

Generali wrote: »

Britain already imports about 2/3rds of her food and has been a net food importer for generations.

its about 30 percent import by value and what matters is calories which i suspect is lower than value

also reaching 100pc isnt possible without banning foods that wont grow here and out of season foods

CLAPTON

tkane wrote: »

Easy to say that sitting at your desk hiding behind your computer screen.

Would you say that to the faces of the hundreds of thousands of workers across various industries that may lose their jobs if it was not for government support? 80% of our manufacturing could be exported if the 'free market' had its way.

all improvements in productivity or similar changes involve people temporarily losing their jobs

the fact that you (and at least 95% of all of us) aren't day labourers on a farm is testament to that fact.

tkane

CLAPTON wrote: »

all improvements in productivity or similar changes involve people temporarily losing their jobs

the fact that you (and at least 95% of all of us) aren't day labourers on a farm is testament to that fact.

Yes let's let technology detroy all our jobs and we can all be unemployed whilst the robots manufacture stuff that we can no longer afford. Do you see the end game if you run with that argument?

Graham_Devon

How would people feel if it (when it) comes to subsidising the Royal Mail for delivering to remote postcodes?

CLAPTON

tkane wrote: »

Yes let's let technology detroy all our jobs and we can all be unemployed whilst the robots manufacture stuff that we can no longer afford. Do you see the end game if you run with that argument?

improvements in productivity have enhanced the quality of life of all of us.
you must be totally stupid to wish to be a subsistence farmer

however, every generation has the usual load of idiots that willing use the improvements from the past but think that any further change is for the worse

CLAPTON

Graham_Devon wrote: »

How would people feel if it (when it) comes to subsidising the Royal Mail for delivering to remote postcodes?

a poor joke

Thrugelmir

tkane wrote: »

Would you say that to the faces of the hundreds of thousands of workers across various industries that may lose their jobs if it was not for government support? 80% of our manufacturing could be exported if the 'free market' had its way.

As with all media reporting the story lacks factual accuracy. There's probably 25% of dairy farmers who are highly profitable, 50% make a living, the remaining 25% are on the borderline. Same as most other industries. There's a myriad of reasons behind each individual tale.

tkane

CLAPTON wrote: »

improvements in productivity have enhanced the quality of life of all of us.

I didn't say anything to the contrary.

CLAPTON wrote: »

you must be totally stupid to wish to be a subsistence farmer

And you must be stupid for quoting something I never said.

CLAPTON wrote: »

however, every generation has the usual load of idiots that willing use the improvements from the past but think that any further change is for the worse

Look at the wider trend - technology has killed off millions of manufacturing jobs and it will eventually go after middle class jobs.

How is anyone going to afford to pay for goods and services if 70% of the current labour market has been taken over by robots?

If you don't believe that AT LEAST 70% of the labour market is at risk in the next 50-100 years then go look up what artificial intelligence can do.

Thrugelmir

tkane wrote: »

Look at the wider trend - technology has killed off millions of manufacturing jobs and it will eventually go after middle class jobs.

Think you are behind the curve with that statement.