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Nelson: How About A Bailout For America’s Family Farms?
Country music icon says just $1 billion out of $700 billion could get real economy back on track
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Country music icon Willie Nelson has a message for Hank Paulson and Ben Bernanke in the wake of the recent $700 billion dollar plus Wall Street bailout – how about a bailout for the desperate and struggling family farmers of America that are nearing extinction?
“I have written a letter as president of Farm Aid to whoever controls that money that we would like to have $1 billion dollars from that 700….$1 billion dollars is I think all we’ll need to turn the economy around if we start out taking care of our family farmers,” Nelson told The Alex Jones Show.
“We could put 10 million farmers back on the land, making a living out there raising food and fuel….and that $1 billion dollars I think would go a long way to changing our negative attitudes that we have and the confidence in ourselves and in our country right now,” said Nelson, adding that all foreclosures on farms should be halted immediately.
“I think that if we invested that $1 billion with our family farmers, we would begin to turn it around,” stressed the country music star, later joking that $100 billion would be an even better amount.
Nelson has been a multi-decade activist and vocal proponent for Farm Aid, and recently performed alongside Neil Young at the highly successful 2008 Farm Aid concert which was held at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA, having helped organize the first Farm Aid concert in 1985.
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Farm Aid is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to keep family farmers on their land and support locally sourced, humanely-raised and organic food in the face of a gargantuan attempt on behalf of big agribusiness to squeeze the family farmer out of existence.
The letter that Nelson and fellow Farm Aid directors John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews sent to Congress points out, “When farms thrive, Main Street businesses and local communities thrive. Far from Wall Street, family farmers are creating real wealth, producing real value, growing from seeds and sunlight a product that nourishes us both physically and economically. Supporting diverse decentralized family farming will do far more for the stability and vitality of our country than a handful of global agribusiness corporations could ever do.”
“The proposed $700 billion bailout asks taxpayers to foot the bill without giving them the opportunity to share in any gains. A $1 billion investment in family farm agriculture would enrich us all, because we are all shareholders of the family farm. The return on investment in the family farm includes thriving local economies, nutritious food for better health, a safer and more secure food supply, a cleaner environment and more renewable energy.”
Nelson pointed out that when 8-10 million family farmers were on the land in America at the end of the second world war the economy was strong because, “Agriculture is the bottom rung on the economic ladder,” adding that the farmers became a target because they were a political problem.
“Let’s put out the fire now, we’ll figure out who started it later and that’s pretty much what we have to do, we have to stop the fire and stop the bleeding, and I think the best way to do that is still from the ground up, go back to our family farmer, he’s the one that started taking care of us in the beginning so let’s let him do it again,” Nelson concluded.
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29 Responses to “Nelson: How About A Bailout For America’s Family Farms?”
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October 23rd, 2008 at 1:36 pm
How much can the American take? How much can he (she) be abused before saying, STOP! How much more?
October 23rd, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Let them eat cake and wear expensive clothing!
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Much, much more, RayB. All this country cares about is how many passes get completed on Sundays. They’ll be dragging people off to camps and they will still want to know the final score.
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:39 pm
I have to give Alex Jones credit and thanks for getting me into growing food. It’s back breaking labor when you don’t have an expensive John Deere doing all the work. Thank you Alex and all your staff for all you do and helping at least some of us wake up and do the right thing. And thanks to Willie Nelson and all the rest of the celebrity activists who help those in need (ie, Brad Pitt-Hurricane Katrina habitat for humanity).
October 23rd, 2008 at 3:48 pm
I don’t think strengthening the American farm and family is at all part of the government cartel’s agenda whatsoever.
October 23rd, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Wow !
Willie your a champion!
and thanks Alex Jones for all the work you do.
Peace!
J
October 23rd, 2008 at 6:21 pm
I love Willie, but there should be no government bailouts for ANYONE – whether huge corporation or family farm. The market dictates what is viable. If your little family farm isn’t supporting your little family…maybe it’s time to get out of the family farm business.
October 23rd, 2008 at 6:25 pm
I would say why Low Ball the figuire… Small Farms could use a boost or restoration if you will in the 100 Billion range since that major corporations probably get that deduction in taxes alone. The big corps. have run the American Farmer into the ground especially with the big money LOBBYISTS that represent them at the expense of the original American Farmer.
October 23rd, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Clif I disagree as the system is not truly “free market” when our government works to strip power from the people and give it to evil corrupt mega-corps like Monsanto, for example.
October 23rd, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Got my seeds, got the books to plan the garden and am looking forward to back breaking labor next spring!
October 23rd, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Prakker, so why petition the same corrupt government for a handout? If we know the government’s money is ill-gotten and ill-used, what the heck is the point of calling on them for a chunk of it…they shouldn’t have it to begin with! Essentially, concerts aren’t going to do anything for us, nayway – and I’m growing tired of artists’ efforts to create change, because ultimately it doesn’t and never will, and neither does Willy (God bless him)…only a true revolution will.
October 23rd, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Its really too late for Bush to apoligize
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxxU68z8quM
his Soul will BURN IN HELL
October 23rd, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Helping the farmers sure would help the country.
So would ending the Federal Reserve with H.R. 2755 now sitting in Congress.
Join in on November 22nd as thousands of Americans converge on 38 cities nation wide in opposition to the criminal banking cartel. Join ENDtheFED.us or http://www.restoretherepublic.net to join the city group nearest you!
October 23rd, 2008 at 8:03 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI7S6WiXFUk
cant wait to hear what everyone has to say when it happens
October 23rd, 2008 at 8:11 pm
what a great bill H.R. 2755 is.this should be implemented immediatly
October 23rd, 2008 at 8:37 pm
How about the stupid farmers stop falling for the GMO scam. Maybe then I’ll feel like they should get some money. Cause so far they have been a bunch of stupid big babies who fell for bad farming practices and now they want a handout from the govt. How come the organic growers don’t have so many problems?
October 23rd, 2008 at 9:19 pm
10 million new family farms? Where do I sign up for this and why isn’t Nelson on a Presidential ticket?
October 23rd, 2008 at 9:55 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxnpujfanUM
A Speech from the President of the US regarding the mess we are in…
We are opposed by a conspiracy
subversion instead of election
A system which has conscripted vast resources into a tight machine
Its preperations are concealed, not published…
No secret is revealed.
October 24th, 2008 at 12:25 am
“Yes, I found a flaw,” Greenspan said in response to grilling from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform as seen on CSPAN today. “That is precisely the reason I was SHOCKED because I’d been going for 40 years or more with very considerable evidence that it was working exceptionally well.”
In fact what Greenspan is saying is “It Aint My Fault” and Kucinich did a good job of calling him out as someone who FAILED TO DO HIS JOB. Also I thought it was great on CSPAN today that the REAL NATIONAL DEBT is actually listed by the TREASURY SNOW (Former) as somewhere in the neighborhood of 51 TRILLION DOLLARS. Wrap your mind around that figuire because it is much more then that now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBnKh6B2cMw
October 24th, 2008 at 12:40 am
Ron Paul punks out a young propagandist. I just wanted a few of you to know he has been walking the walk for a long time. Thanks RON PAUL for enlightening many of us who now understand that Big Monolithic Government can not solve all our problems and has in fact accelerated the destruction of this country at break neck speeds…
1988
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88REf0tjZHo
Give up on Tyrannical Approach
Preposterous NOTION that the GOVERNMENT CAN MAKE YOU A BETTER PERSON
Never have and never will…
October 24th, 2008 at 7:38 am
Are you kidding? The American Farm Family is not on the “special” american list. Only
those who grave money and do and produce nothing get bailed out. It is the New American
Way. All men are created equal Please that is just BS to keep the Sheeple with hope.
The Ruling Class does not believe that crap. They are “special” it is on their Pedigree.
Woff woff woff.
October 24th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
How many times do these fuckers need bailing out?
October 24th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Willy I have always admired you anti war stance and standing up for the little man, but dont you realize that the powers that be have planed the destruction of the family far so the elite can buy them up for pennis on the dollar. they could care less how many farmers are decimmated
October 25th, 2008 at 11:54 am
1 billion dollars can create 10 million family farms? That’s 100 dollars a farm. I wish I could start a family farm for $100. Willie really needs to cut back on the weed a little bit.
October 25th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
As retrieved from the Washington Post and numerous other sources, a satirical e-mail frames the proposed $700 billion Wall Street bailout as a Nigerian 419 scam. The author is unknown:
Dear American:
I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.
I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion dollars US. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.
I am working with Mr. Phil Gram, lobbyist for UBS, who will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a Senator, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. This transactin is 100% safe.
This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.
Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.
Yours Faithfully Minister of Treasury Paulson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoUu2kHzh7I
October 25th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Goldman Sachs, paid its Chairman and CEO Lloyd Blankfein $70 million last year.
Co-Chief Operating Officers Gary Cohn and Jon Winkereid were paid $72.5 million and $71 million, respectively.
• Morgan Stanley Chairman John Mack earned $1.6 million. Chief Financial Officer Colin Kelleher got a $21 million paycheck in 2007.
• Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain was paid $17 million in salary, bonuses and stock options in 2007.
• Bank of America CEO Kenneth Lewis earned $25 million in 2007.
• JP Morgan Chase & Co. Chairman and CEO James Dimon earned $28 million in 2007. • Fannie Mae CEO Daniel Mudd received $11.6 million in 2007. His counterpart at Freddie Mac, Richard Syron, brought in $18 million.
• Wachovia Corp. Chairman and CEO G. Kennedy Thompson received $21 million in 2007. He was succeeded by Robert Steel as CEO in July. Steel is slated to get a $1 million salary with an opportunity for a $12 million bonus.
• Washington Mutual (NYSE:WAMU) will pay its new CEO Alan Fishman a salary and incentive package worth more than $20 million through 2009.
• CEOs of large U.S. corporations averaged $10.8 million in total compensation in 2006, more than 364 times the pay of the average U.S. worker
Imagine what this money could have done for American Farmers (Not Corpse.) if this had be invested back into TRICKLE UP economics!
October 26th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
FYI the link play music.
October 29th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Respectfully – the wealth transfer to farmers in this country is absurb. TV anchors and billionarre farmers suck billions from taxpayers to not farm. Subsidies to ANYONE makes them slaves. New Zealand cut subsidies. Their farmers rioted and whined. They later increased productivity 400% and were free, independent citizens instead of leaches.
March 1st, 2009 at 8:29 pm
The attack on the farmers in the 80’s was part of the long range strategic plans to minimize independant food production inside the USA. Food control= people control, and the NWO is leaving nothing to chance. That’s why the passed “hoarding laws” and such. They want you at their mercy during the coming SCHEDULED chaos.
Recent conditioning would include the Kroger 50$ food for guns scam. You will see more of this kind of conditioning- as well as the corporate medias constant demonization of firearms in the possession of the general public.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see large bread lines by the end of 2009, and of course the conveniant “solutions” prep cooked Shake n Bake ready to serve the masses of stupid and cowering sheeple. Hell, why not just roll out the UN white painted trucks? They already did away with posse comitatus!!!
I’ll keep my guns, Obama can keep the “CHANGE”.