Mississippi is a big winner in federal defense spending according to an article by Lynn Lofton in the Mississippi Business Journal.
“When it comes to defense contracts, Mississippi gets its share,” she wrote. “Eighty counties receive government contracts for military spending; only Humphreys and Issaquena counties do not.” She cited the latest figures from 2000 to 2020 at GovernmentContractsWon.com showed $72.1 billion awarded to Mississippi contractors.
Yes, the market for government contracts has been good for state businesses. In 2020, 9,248 contracts were awarded for $5.4 billion. The prior year 14,836 contracts were awarded for $4.1 billion, and the year before that 17,595 contracts for $6.2 billion.
While the market has been good, it is not a free market. Instead, it reeks of socialism. Government controls the type of products, the design and specifications of products, the number of products to be purchased, and so on.
Government domination of markets, like this, is a hallmark of modern socialism.
Politicians often denounce Medicare as form of modern socialism. Yet, government control of that system is little different from that of the defense industry.
Mississippi is also a big winner in federal farm subsidies. The Environmental Working Group uses Department of Agriculture data to track farm subsidies by state. The latest data show Mississippi farmers obtained $11.4 billion in subsidies from 1995 to 2021. That ranked Mississippi 16th among the 50 states. In 2021 the state ranked 22nd with subsidies totaling $376.3 million.
Markets for the multiple crops that receive subsidies are also significantly controlled by the U.S. government. David Kruse, president of CommStock Investments Inc., explained in a 2020 Farm News article. “When markets signal oversupply and that production should be reduced, farm subsidies supplement farmers income enough so that surpluses are instead sustained. Few farmers go broke and consumers get cheap food. Most are happy under this socialist system.”
If you are paying attention to politics, you likely hear some candidates railing against socialism … while speaking in full support for the defense industry and farm subsidies.
For example Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith denounced socialism in her re-election campaign in 2018 but championed the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program in the federal farm bill and increases in defense spending in 2022.
Similarly, President Donald Trump in his 2019 State of the Union Address said, “We are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our country,” then jacked up farm subsidies from around $4 billion in 2017 to over $20 billion in 2020.
“Yes, you teach others – then why don’t you teach yourselves” – Romans 2:21?
Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.
26 comments:
The pro Trump folks are usually at the head of the line when it comes to receiving benefits from the federal government. Very few people of any political persuasion turned down the free COVID money.
Drain the Swamp but keep the checks coming.
Anyone who decries "socialism" at all is so out of touch and behind the eightball. It's not 2012 anymore.
Pay attention, Crawford. The major divide is class. Corrupt, lying elites vs the masses. All cultural wars including "muhhh socialism" are a distraction.
It's elites vs everyone else. Globalists vs nationalists. I would gladly take an honest and straight socialist nationalist over a corrupt libertarian boot licking capitalist. Unfortunately many if not all Mississippi republicans of note fall into the latter category.
Wake up!
It's always a matter of WHO benefits when it comes to socialism vs so-called free market. If "those people" benefit it's socialism and a gov'ment giveaway, if the "right" people get it it's a necessary subsidy. How dare Crawford point this out here.
Lots of pork, but how much fraud and quid pro quo is involved? Easy answer - lots.
Leave it to Crawford. Defense of the Union is now socialism.
Crawford's way of saying, "Mississippians, you ain't shit, and you better not never forget it, neither."
Why all them farmers wear them caps what have their bill all curled down?
So they can get their head clear to the back of the mailbox when they checking to see if their next gummint check is in there!
Socialism, Critical Race Theory, Pro-Choice, ultra liberal, Affirmative-Action etc. etc. etc. all just political buzz words to get a certain segment excited without really understanding what they are excited about. China is a socialist/communist nation about to kick our asses in the free market. Socialism is just a word.
Those who won't bother to learn the difference between socialism and kleptocracy are doomed to endure it. If farm subsidies or Medicaid were "socialism," middle class city workers would get some of the action rather than just some of the bills.
Marxists here are hungry for free stuff bought with others' money and are happy for the militarized stazi feds to sieze it from those who have worked for it to trade for power over those to whom they give it.
Creative, hard working free Americans prefer to earn their way whilst the slothful lay abouts want weaponized government institutions to buy into their hustle and just send them a check for claiming victimhood.
Judge Wingate, a just angel among wolves, just cleared the air with Truth and spanked the racist Lumumba Bolshevik Brigade.
Marxists here are hungry for free stuff bought with others' money and are happy for the militarized stazi feds to sieze it from those who have worked for it to trade for power over those to whom they give it.
Creative, hard working free Americans prefer to earn their way whilst the slothful lay abouts want weaponized government institutions to buy into their hustle and just send them a check for claiming victimhood.
Judge Wingate, a just angel among wolves, just cleared the air with Truth and spanked the racist Lumumba Bolshevik Brigade.
Most CRT pigressives demanding reparations would trade away their Constitutional birthright to Freedom and live under China immediately if they were offered $50,000 and a fake gold chain.
@11:50 AM
I agree with you 100% fellow traveler.
The globalist 1% are responsible for 99% of our problems.
They have absconded with our national wealth and social cohesion.
They don’t give a single fuck about America because they have procured themselves an ethnostate to fall back to when it all collapses.
Free market capitalism’s been dead a long time in the Un-United States of America but the socialism slope got much more slippery in 2008 when banks were bailed out after they knowingly loaned $$$ to people that had absolutely no chance of paying it back;
and much of America’s youth (and others) had been indoctrinated enough to think it was cool to elect a failed community organizer as POTUS, not because of qualification, but because of his minority status.
What’s incredibly fascinating about Crawford’s article is his complete lack of mentioning the PPP scam that (allegedly) gave 800 billion to businesses…many of which were thriving and did not need any government money at all.
No need to name names since what they did was “legal” but there are local guys with names most would recognize that by having their payrolls made for them by the government while their businesses where booming, they could then buy beach homes, airplanes, etc. with the additional profits – while others suffer greatly due to the inflation caused by so much government money being given away and currency devaluation.
Mr. Crawford appears to be selective in his research and writings with the purpose of beating up one party while not criticizing his own for doing the exact same things and worse; and there’s a word for that.
“There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.” – Luke 12:2
@2:38 - I fear you have posted at least six times. Take a rest and get a craft beer from the fridge and a can of Viennas.
You mentioned kleptocracy but obviously have no clue as to its meaning.
Kleptocracy is not a form of government. Any government head can be a kleptocrat regardless of the type government practiced by any country. Kleptocracy is simply theft by a government official(s) from those governed.
Give it a rest and get back to your on-line courses.
What happened to the good old days when we called everybody pushing something new a communist?
Whatever happened to those guys anyway?
@5:59
What happened?
Communism won!
Boomers sat on their selfish asses and just let everything go to shit!
Look at the current state of our public schools.
Look at the current state of our cities and neighborhoods.
Look at the absolutely broken state of the family.
Look at the current state of government.
Everything bad that was predicted to happen, has happened.
So Crawford thinks that providing for a nation’s defense is socialism? Buy that’s rich.
How else does he propose to build a military?
That guy is a maroon.
2:38, in response to "Don Drane"
Hilarious. Not a single correct assertion or suggestion, either objective or subjective. Here's a hint: I didn't say nor even suggest that kleptocracy is or is not a "form of government," although it certainly can be either. I simply suggested that some number (unspecified) confuse it with "socialism" (which, similar to kleptocracy, can be but is not necessarily a "form of government").
I'll refrain from overt assertions about you because I freely admit I have no specific knowledge as to the depths of your ignorance or stupidity, even if you have provided clues to support reasonable guesses as to each.
Wealthy people have always lived off socialism. They control the masses with phony social and religious issues and then live off their labor.
Someone needs to read the definition of socialism: military, interstate highways, sports stadiums, the Noah's Ark exhibit in Kentucky, public schools, roads and bridges, public hospitals, 2 nursing homes in Mississippi, a volleyball court at USM, the marijuana farm at UM, Edam cheese at MSU. Social security trust fund and medicare and medicaid. Farm subsidies. University professors like D.L. Gardner & Sid Salter and cliff Johnson, and Thomas the sociologist. Mississippi insurance department. Anything eminent domain laws can seize property. MDOT lawn mowers. 6 highway patrolmen for our football coaches to step on the sidelines.
All paid by tax dollars. If it is paid by tax dollars it's social "ism."
#1 Check Crawford's income sources.
#2 Look and see what work he actually did to earn it.
#3 Decide whether to listen to him.
Fighting endless wars would put a stop to so much money and contracts to states. It will work itself out. We have spent $112B in a war we have no business in and depleted our own reserves. If our President and many others weren't compromised in Ukraine we wouldn't even be there.
End farm subsidies and the free market will adjust. Subsidizing Iowa farmers to grow corn and lose money on ethanol production is ludicrous. It would be painful but we badly need a reset and term limits in Washington. Corporate welfare must stop as well We need to return to being a constitutional republic as was intended. I know. Pie in the sky!
6:43 Maybe capitalism won.
What difference does it make what you call it? The communists predicted this would happen to us because of capitalism. The capitalists predicted this would happen to us because of communism. Who was right? What difference does it make?
Hey Bill,
Every single “farm family” in Mississippi benefits from Socialism.
Every. Single. One.
In the Great Depression II (rapidly approaching) Mississippi might be in worse shape than during the first one. It's 32.4% dependent on Federal dollars. If/when that dries up, Mississippi will be in the stone age.
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