The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 4 of 12)

R. Andrew Newman's "Where Corn Counts" makes an excellent point. Conservatives have long been too concerned with ideological purity and "big C" conservatism. It is clear that what we need is more pragmatism and less ideology. If farmers like ethanol subsidies, let 'em have 'em. As the original "compassionate conservative" has repeatedly told us: "When people are hurting, government must help." Or, in this case, "When wealthy farmers want the federal government to spend other people's money on subsidies for an inefficient and ultimately destructive product..." It's not exactly elegant, but you get the idea.

Since "conservatives" are now apparently in the business of doling out largesse in exchange for electoral support, I'd like a new Porsche and a gummint-backed, interest-free mortgage. That would be VERY compassionate and would buy -- er, um "earn" -- my vote.

p>After all, we need to fill Congress with warm bodies with "R" after their names. Principle, schminciple! br> -- Daniel H. Fernald , Ph.D. br> Mountainview, California /p> p> Mr. Newman makes some excellent points on Republicans respecting its base in the heartland, but I must comment on his criticism of the Club for Growth's anti-subsidized energy policy. While I support bio-fuels and heartland industry, I am concerned with the use of corn as the product employed for bio-fuels. Corn is criticized for providing a poor return of energy compared to that put into the fuel's manufacture, while it increases food prices. I've read that switch grass among corn alternatives is an easy crop to grow, nets far more energy for fuel than corn. It seems win-win to me if our heartland industry would support policies that did not focus on the relatively poor fuel producing corn crop. Its bio-fuel industry could continue to thrive with less reliance on subsidies and impact on other markets that corn is a part of. br> -- Brian White br> Simsbury, Connecticut /p>

R. Andrew Newman may wax eloquent about the economic salvation of the Farm Belt provided by corn-based biofuels, but I wonder if he understands the price paid for a little more flexibility in enhancing American mobility is just a little more starvation elsewhere in the world.

p>I am not opposed to biofuels, but perhaps we should be putting more effort into research to produce them from waste materials instead of food grains. There are things more important in life than politics, namely, life itself.

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