[HoosierRon]

This is a story that is not easily summed up in a headline. The United Nations has an outfit called the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Yes, this is a curious name since the people on the organization do not grow food and their knowledge of agriculture is limited to taking from agricultural producers and giving to Marxist despots.

But I digress.

There recently was a big movement by the New World Orderists who clearly did not like America's recent uppity streak when it came to energy independence. They wanted to shut down America's biofuel industry. You can imagine the arguments (e.g., after all the graft payments, PEMEX does not have enough money left over from selling the U.S. oil for $139/barrel to subsidize tortilla sales).

This prompted the typical and completely unnecessary injection of facts into the discussion. As a result (along with the "fact" that America made clear any ban on biofuels would have to be funded by some other member state, such as Somalia or Togo), the FAO issued a report concluding that it would further study the issue and focus on increased agricultural output rather than banning biofuels. Of course, this leaves us with a couple of questions:

• If America is a soverign nation, how did the UN ever envisioning banning biofuels in the first place?
• If the doubling of corn prices due to Chinese demand and the falling dollar does not prompt increased agricultural production, what will?
• At what point in history did people who chose to live in the desert decide they were entitled to American corn?

In any event, I say it is a positive development for American energy independence and the American farmer when the UN decides to "study" an issue.

The battle.
UN surrenders.

Brazil's president tells the UN to go pound sand.

 

[CamaroCrazy]

Thank you for that info, HoosierRon.

 

[unkillsam]

If the Middle East and Venezula can hold us hostage for oil and China is increasing oil usage whereas it looks like US gas demand is going down, then America has every right to hold the world hostage for food.

What people fail to realize is that without oil it would be impossible for the US to grow so much food that we can afford to export it.

So, if they want to rape us for oil why should they get our food on the cheap?

 

[PA Dweller]

My personal opinion is that we should only focus on feeding ourselves and fueling our vehicles. If someone else outside of the country has a hard time surviving maybe they should find another nation to get a hand out from. I mean this has gotten too far, unless people start starving in this nation we should continue to use Corn Ethanol until an alternative can be found. It shouldn't be our responsibility to feed other nations, it’s their problem.

 

[EldoFan]

If the Middle East and Venezula can hold us hostage for oil and China is increasing oil usage whereas it looks like US gas demand is going down, then America has every right to hold the world hostage for food.

What people fail to realize is that without oil it would be impossible for the US to grow so much food that we can afford to export it.

So, if they want to rape us for oil why should they get our food on the cheap?

AMEN! :clap: :clap:

 

[fan]

I had a dream!...that cars and trucks will run on biodiesel made out of sea grown algae.
Is this too complicated? Am I missing something?
What's with the rush to produce corn made ethanol?

 

[ctaylorzl1]

Wow great article Ron! All this doom and gloom of the auto industry coupled with oil industry BS has really stifled my GMi posting as of late (that and the stress of 10 plus inches of rain in the past week and a half).

 

[tgagneguam]

My personal opinion is that we should only focus on feeding ourselves and fueling our vehicles. If someone else outside of the country has a hard time surviving maybe they should find another nation to get a hand out from. I mean this has gotten too far, unless people start starving in this nation we should continue to use Corn Ethanol until an alternative can be found. It shouldn't be our responsibility to feed other nations, it’s their problem.

I've often thought of this approach, and superficially it sounds appealing. It does. However, anyone can buy our land, anyone can buy into our powerful agribusiness. So, while it sounds appealing to suggest feed ourselves and screw the world-and on principal, I'm with you-in reality the many nations to whom we owe our trillions would simply purchase our land, our beef factories, our pork factories, our corn processing centers, and so much more.

And before you say "just prevent them from buying our land and our businesses," I certainly am a free market proponent. I am in favor of American farmers buying large tracks of land in Brazil, and I am in favor of my being able to buy equities in markets all over the world. After all, it's my emerging market funds and funds that cover equities in the UK and Germany that have saved my portfolio this year! You get to buy our companies and properties, we get to buy yours.

 

[tgagneguam]

This is a story that is not easily summed up in a headline. The United Nations has an outfit called the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Yes, this is a curious name since the people on the organization do not grow food and their knowledge of agriculture is limited to taking from agricultural producers and giving to Marxist despots.

But I digress...

Ah, but an important digression, HoosierRon. The U.N. today is a perversion of FDR's and Churchill's intent. The US pays the bills of the U.N., and a collection of misguided, corrupt, anti-American, insignificant, do-nothing, sacless nations think they get to use our money to tell the world how to behave. They think we need its permission to act globally. Of course, the UN is completely irrelevant, and it may be time at the very least to think about restructuring the organization. Otherwise, we might benefit from simply pulling out, including shutting down our funds transfers. Let Putin and Hu Jintao foot the bill for once.

 

[mbukukanyau]

People should be wary of the UN and to a certain extent the EU.
Has anyone noticed what has become of the UN human rights commission. Even Zimbambwe to them looks ok. When you see who sits on it, its funny guys like Venezuela and Saudia.

 

[PA Dweller]

I've often thought of this approach, and superficially it sounds appealing. It does. However, anyone can buy our land, anyone can buy into our powerful agribusiness. So, while it sounds appealing to suggest feed ourselves and screw the world-and on principal, I'm with you-in reality the many nations to whom we owe our trillions would simply purchase our land, our beef factories, our pork factories, our corn processing centers, and so much more.

And before you say "just prevent them from buying our land and our businesses," I certainly am a free market proponent. I am in favor of American farmers buying large tracks of land in Brazil, and I am in favor of my being able to buy equities in markets all over the world. After all, it's my emerging market funds and funds that cover equities in the UK and Germany that have saved my portfolio this year! You get to buy our companies and properties, we get to buy yours.

You got me, I admit it. So what solution would you offer?

 

[Neanderthal]

Like many organizations founded with good intentions, the UN has gone bad in a bad way.
It's a den of spies and dope peddlers who have diplomatic immunity.
Terrorist dictatorships head the human rights panel.
It would be funny if it weren't such an evil outfit.

The world today appears to be largely run by delinquent 9- to 12-year-olds with chips on the shoulder. No thinking adult can take the UN seriously.

I will be voting the un-UN candidate come November.

The UN building should be vacated, offices moved to China where the dictators would feel more at home.

 

[Stéphane Dumas]

People should be wary of the UN and to a certain extent the EU.
Has anyone noticed what has become of the UN human rights commission. Even Zimbambwe to them looks ok. When you see who sits on it, its funny guys like Venezuela and Saudia.

Agreed, the UN had became "Le machin" (approximate translation "The Thing") has DeGaulle once said.

 

[poncho1982]

I am SO sick of the UN.

Good idea, BAD implementation.

That beeing said, bring on the BioFuels!

 

[eaton53]

At what point in history did people who chose to live in the desert decide they were entitled to American corn?

Sam Kinison comes to mind... don't send 'em corn, send 'em U-Hauls so they can move to where the food is. AHHH!!! AAAAHHH!!!!

 

[Dgrocho]

Do we actually send food aid to these oil rich countries that are making all kinds of money off of us? It seems silly for us to be doing that, though there was a food for fuel thing in at least some places right? If somebody could explain that, that would be great.

The numbers at the end of one of those articles are pretty amazing, the US has pledged 5 Billion (annually?) to fight worldwide hunger, and the nations that are "super prosperous" because of oil have only pledged 100 million. Something has to give. Our country is simply too generous, especially in this time of economic struggle.

If you aren't taking care of yourself, eventually you won't have the strength to care for others either.

 

[yoblues]

The UN was a joke 24 hrs after it opened.

 

[EatonISgay]

Here! Here! And the recent rains and floods affecting 40% of the corn crop in this country should have a nice effect on corn prices. God bless the farmer, its going to be a good year.

As globalism takes over and we usher in a new era most likely led by the socialist/globalist obama, the rest of the world is expecting access to our corn. Couple that with a rising world population and china's inability to feed itself, our corn will play an even bigger role in the world than it ever has.

Seems logical to me to use it for fuel. Why would we want to use up our 60 year supply of oil, not counting shale oil finds in CO and UT, the newest discovery in North Dakota or in Montana and the newest finds globally - like in brazil and siberia? Makes sense to me. After all its not like it takes more energy to make a unit of energy from corn. (eye roll) We all know how efficient and better corn is compared to traditional fossil fuels. (eye roll)

I just started a company that converts the food in your freezer and refridgerator to fuel. This fuel has 75% of the energy content of a gallon of gas, but so what. We're going to be independent! No more middle east oil baby, just empty out that fridge! Anyone want to invest?

 

[logansowner]

Here! Here! And the recent rains and floods affecting 40% of the corn crop in this country should have a nice effect on corn prices. God bless the farmer, its going to be a good year.

As globalism takes over and we usher in a new era most likely led by the socialist/globalist obama, the rest of the world is expecting access to our corn. Couple that with a rising world population and china's inability to feed itself, our corn will play an even bigger role in the world than it ever has.

Seems logical to me to use it for fuel. Why would we want to use up our 60 year supply of oil, not counting shale oil finds in CO and UT, the newest discovery in North Dakota or in Montana and the newest finds globally - like in brazil and siberia? Makes sense to me. After all its not like it takes more energy to make a unit of energy from corn. (eye roll) We all know how efficient and better corn is compared to traditional fossil fuels. (eye roll)

I just started a company that converts the food in your freezer and refridgerator to fuel. This fuel has 75% of the energy content of a gallon of gas, but so what. We're going to be independent! No more middle east oil baby, just empty out that fridge! Anyone want to invest?

Nobody plans to use corn anymore, but for some reason anyone who doesn't want to be independent keeps using this argument. That's like saying it's not efficient to make fuel from dog crap, who gives a damn, you weren't going to do it anyway.

 

[1931Chevy]

If we as Americans want to be fuel independent we need to help to reduce the consumption in any way from the cars to the electricity in our homes, right now I will do my part because I think I will go with a solar system for my house since right now Im paying 300 monthly for electricity and for that I could pay a loan for a solar power system, I love my v8 but maybe I could buy a Volt or other plug in and instead of having to plug it in if your car is parked outside they should offer a small solar panel to recharge the battery with the sun or a better idea the goverment could help for the installation of small solar panels in public areas so the plug in owner can recharge the car with solar energy. And instead of making ethanol from corn they should produce it from sugar cane since more ethanol is extracted from the cane than the corn