The American Spectator

Frank Natoli br> Newton, New Jersey /p> p> More words, more confusion. I keep waiting for a straightforward definition of “conservative.” I keep waiting for a straightforward definition of ‘liberal.” This article is just confusing blather. Read this quote from the article: “While there is not space today to elaborate sufficiently upon those definitions and assertions.” It is because the author has no definitions. br> — Bruce Purdie /p>

Andrew Newman seems to be a bit peeved at Movement Conservatives. If by Movement Conservatives, he means those who find our pork laden, earmark soaked, entitlement rich federal budget a travesty, then I suppose he is correct in his anger. The bio-fuel craze is an example of a “solution” in search of a problem. This 30 something year old relic of a program from the Carter Years finally found a powerful ally in the AGW Movement. Corn farmers now have found a veritable pile of riches - endless riches - as federal mandates most certainly will cause an endless demand spike on our corn supply. Now that farmers are in the energy business, they too can enjoy the profits of Exxon and BP. All it took was a weak lame duck President, a perceived global catastrophe (AGW catastrophes are always something in the future, just over the horizon), and a Congress and regulations lobby that are insatiable.

Andrew Newman isn’t bothered in the least that global food supplies in a period of 18 months have shrunk to less than 4 weeks, and that there isn’t enough biomass on the earth to supply our nation with “clean burning” fuels for even a month; as long as corn farmers are happy in places like Indiana, Iowa, and Nebraska, all is well with the world. Newman is the perfect example of what happens when an entire class of the electorate is held in thrall to the Beltway. He says he is a populist and a small C conservative. Actually, men like will vote for whom ever promise to keep the endless gravy train of subsidies, price controls, and “investments” going. Most Americans empathize with the plight of today’s farmers — that is small farmers. Most Americans tolerate paying extra for food in order to allow family farms to continue. However, this empathy will not last long when they realize that the double digit inflation they see at the grocery store is caused by the ethanol industry, and that the ethanol industry owes its entire existence to tax payer subsides, and congressional mandates. In Newman’s world, civics is reduced to an all against all fight for federal tax dollars and congressional favors. And any would be President must bow to these “interests” if he wants their vote. Gone is the debate whether these programs benefit anyone other than the program recipient.

Movement Conservatives have been fighting a rear guard action ever since the New Deal. Most Americans, like Andrew Newman, do not see a problem with a Federal Government that consumes over 3 trillion dollars of our wealth annually. And I do admit, it is not often that a deal like our current Energy Program comes along. Besides a growing demand for US grains worldwide, farmers will enjoy an ever growing demand for their biofuels due to congressional intervention. It will be a great racket while it lasts. At least Newman and people like him should just come out and admit the truth: Farmers will be the only people who benefit from the biofuels industry.

p>At the end of the day, consumers will see ever increasing food prices, gas prices will remain artificially high (ethanol is very difficult to produce and distribute), clear cutting of the globe’s rain forests will accelerate, and subsistence grains will be in ever shorter supply. Earlier this month Indonesians rioted due to low supplies of soybeans. Indonesian farmers have given up on soybeans for the much more profitable biofuels. But all of these alleged problems can be ignored — they are just the irrelevant voices of an outdated group of Movement Conservatives. br> — JP br> Indiana /p>