Observations on the DC immigration rally

[jrw14125]

I just got back from jogging down on the mall, where the immigration rally is taking place. I stopped and listened to 1 speaker on the way down, and Ted Kennedy on the way back.

First off, WOW. It was amazing to see free speech in action on such a scale.

My estimate was a couple of hundred thousand people, with thousands more still trickling in from downtown when I was heading back to work.

The chants I heard most often were, in order:
- USA, USA!
- Si, se puede!
- and my favorite: Today we march, tomorrow we vote!

I saw 1000s of americans flags, and dozens of Mexican flags.

After hearing the speakers demounce Sensenbrenner, Tancredo, and the GOP in general, I think the GOP just liberalized about 40 million latinos. Whoopsie!

Oh, and I should add, I also saw a counter-demonstration. There were 5 (yes, 5) people with "protect our border" signs. There was also a huge pile of horse crap right next to them from one of the mounted cops. I thought that was fitting. Irony, thy name is horse dung.

PS - The White House had dozens of secret service and capitol hill police standing guard inside the fence, on the lawn. Maybe waiting for more crazy fence jumpers. Or maybe they thought the crowd would rush the fence? Odd, since George supports amnesty. More likely, they were guarding Alberto "Torture" Gonzales, who I think I saw giving a press conference on the west lawn.

[Post]

1. Outsource American Farming Industry?

2 issues are at stake here: 1) Family for the immigrants; 2) Profitable Farming for American Farmers. Did you know that already 66% of the world's garlic is from....drumroll....CHINA? Check it out: http://postanapology.blogspot.com/2006/04/outsourcing-american-farming.html#links

[SoCalDem]

2. oops.. a dupe

m

[SoCalDem]

3. and we import MORE food than we export

and to think that our surplusses once fed the third world..

[TahitiNut]

4. I don't think so. We're still exporting far more than we import.

In 2002, US agricultural trade was a $10.6 billion surplus (more exports than imports) in an overall trade deficit (more imports than exports) of $508.6 billion. We exported $55.6 billion in agricultural products (that's BIG business) or nearly 12.6% of all agricultural exports worldwide. (Cheap labor is an obsession of that industry.)

http://www.fao.org/es/ess/yearbook/vol_1_1/pdf/c05.pdf
http://www.fao.org/es/ess/yearbook/vol_1_1/pdf/c02.pdf

[SoCalDem]

5. The article I read must have been during this time....

http://www.ca.uky.edu/AGC/NEWS/2005/Feb/imports.htm

snip



Infanger said that agricultural exports have been similar to a roller coaster over the past decade with big swings up and down. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is predicting a decline in agricultural exports for 2005, stating the decline could be about $4 billion as a result of increased competition and lower prices for cotton, wheat and soybeans.

Food imports have been steadily rising for four years. There were a few months in 2004 when the United States imported more food than it exported.

“Of course this does not make the United States a net food importer – yet,” Infanger said. “But the trend on agricultural trade is clear if you look at the yearly summary data. The agricultural trade surplus – the difference between exports and imports – has deteriorated since 1996 when it was $20 billion. But with rising imports and roller coaster exports, the trade surplus next year is projected at only $2.5 billion.”

Infanger believes free trade agreements are making the U.S. market more open for new products, thus causing the rise in food imports.

snip

[NNN0LHI]

6. I would call that one a tie you guys n/t

[TahitiNut]

7. Much of the "roller coaster" is due to currency valuation and tariffs.

The only ways we can objectively measure import/export is in terms of dollars (or, alternatively, calories for food). But the wild swings in currency valuation and tariffs resulting from GATT, NAFTA, and WTO regulation make it appear far more volatile than it is. Agribusiness remains the largest industry in the US ... with huge corporate farms, ranches, feedlots, slaughter houses, and distribution systems. (It should also be noted that 'food' is a PART of agribusiness, not all of it. E.g. cotton.)