Comments on: Oil and food soar, consumers hammered http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/04/16/oil-and-food-soar-consumers-hammered/ now with extra source Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:41:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jarod http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/04/16/oil-and-food-soar-consumers-hammered/#comment-12051 Jarod Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-12051 Would it be worthwhile for our elected leaders around the world to take a step back from Biofuel production, because as much as we want cheap petrol etc, food availability surely has to be a more pressing issue. Would it be worthwhile for our elected leaders around the world to take a step back from Biofuel production, because as much as we want cheap petrol etc, food availability surely has to be a more pressing issue.

]]> By: John James http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/04/16/oil-and-food-soar-consumers-hammered/#comment-12052 John James Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-12052 The problem is one of shortages! Last time I heard American greenbacks were useless as fertiliser. The problem is one of shortages! Last time I heard American greenbacks were useless as fertiliser.

]]> By: tio http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/04/16/oil-and-food-soar-consumers-hammered/#comment-12053 tio Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-12053 This has nothing to do with left politics. This has to do with investors around the world looking for safe investments in the light of America's current financial meltdown. Those investors are investing in a commodies bubble, and food and ethanol just happen to be part of that. To make matters worse, countries which have US dollar pegs are importing US inflation, which helps ensure their food prices soar. US dollar peg countries mentioned by Glenn in this article: China, Vietnam (who only just recently decided to cut loose from the US dollar peg to save themselves), and Egypt. These world-wide food pricing problems are a consequence of the US credit crisis fallout. You can thank the American government, lax US financial regulation, and American banks for this if you need someone to blame, John James. This has nothing to do with left politics. This has to do with investors around the world looking for safe investments in the light of America’s current financial meltdown. Those investors are investing in a commodies bubble, and food and ethanol just happen to be part of that. To make matters worse, countries which have US dollar pegs are importing US inflation, which helps ensure their food prices soar. US dollar peg countries mentioned by Glenn in this article: China, Vietnam (who only just recently decided to cut loose from the US dollar peg to save themselves), and Egypt. These world-wide food pricing problems are a consequence of the US credit crisis fallout. You can thank the American government, lax US financial regulation, and American banks for this if you need someone to blame, John James.

]]> By: John James # 2 http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/04/16/oil-and-food-soar-consumers-hammered/#comment-12054 John James # 2 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-12054 How often have I heard the Left predicting, nay almost 'willing', the demise of free markets and a return to those much loved centralised economies so graphicly on display in those centres of 'abundanc and plenty like Havanna, Harare and Hanoi. The great strenghth of the United States is its openess and freedom. Google the preamble to the United States Constitution. Every Leftie should, especially those propounding Keynesian models of market 'reform'. How often have I heard the Left predicting, nay almost ‘willing’, the demise of free markets and a return to those much loved centralised economies so graphicly on display in those centres of ‘abundanc and plenty like Havanna, Harare and Hanoi.
The great strenghth of the United States is its openess and freedom. Google the preamble to the United States Constitution. Every Leftie should, especially those propounding Keynesian models of market ‘reform’.

]]> By: John James http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/04/16/oil-and-food-soar-consumers-hammered/#comment-12055 John James Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-12055 The Green movement has been instrumental in preventing in Africa the sort of agrarian revolution that was seen on the Subcontinent 20 years beforehand. Combine this with the sort of political mismanagement of countries like Zimbabwe which had been a net exporter of food and now can't feed itself and you begin to see the legacy that the 'progressive' Left has been sowing. The Green movement has been instrumental in preventing in Africa the sort of agrarian revolution that was seen on the Subcontinent 20 years beforehand. Combine this with the sort of political mismanagement of countries like Zimbabwe which had been a net exporter of food and now can’t feed itself and you begin to see the legacy that the ‘progressive’ Left has been sowing.

]]> By: tio http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/04/16/oil-and-food-soar-consumers-hammered/#comment-12056 tio Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-12056 The problem is what Von Mises termed a "crack-up boom ". Do yourself a favour and google it. And yes indeed, the greenback is useless as fertilizer. Very soon it will probably be useless as toilet paper too, despite the G7 jawboning this weekend. The problem is what Von Mises termed a “crack-up boom “. Do yourself a favour and google it.

And yes indeed, the greenback is useless as fertilizer. Very soon it will probably be useless as toilet paper too, despite the G7 jawboning this weekend.

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