Quote:
Originally Posted by bolo121
I dont think this free trade thing would work in India's case. In india the farmer has no power to set the price. He is controlled by what the local middlemen (backed up by goondas) agree to pay him. In times of rising food sure he may be paid a bit more, but only a bit. The middlemen would send the rice further up the chain where most of it would be exported for super profits abroad.
End result is: Farmers still poor, middlemen all along the chain filthy rich, no food for the poor, govt forced to buy rice for the ration shop system at ruinous prices.
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You seem fascinated with all things criminal and see it everywhere! While I agree that there may be a level of criminality involved... the fundamental reason why the Indian rice farmer cannot really set his price is because he depends heavily on the state for his enterprise and vice-versa. A hundred aspects of rice-farming depend on state support and intervention: Canals, electricity/diesel for pumps, fertilizers, hired labor, "seed-" paddy... So in effect the rice farmer really becomes a state agent. Conversely his job is also critical to the survival of the state. The rice farmer cannot really go about setting the price any more than a soldier can go out on a unionized-strike.