Jeremy Clarkson: Apparently it’s far-right to grow food. Bring on das tractor revolt

 Source: the Times

Every government in the civilised world knows that food must not be too expensive. If people can’t afford to eat, it’s a known fact that within days, or maybe even hours, everything will go full zombie apocalypse. This is why a standard-sized tin of Heinz baked beans is just £1.40.

That’s great of course. Except, if you think for a moment, it’s not great at all because how in the name of all that’s holy can a supermarket sell you 415g of food for so little? You’ve got all the tomatoes needed to make the sauce, and the herb extracts and the salt and the cornflour and the vinegar. And then you need the tin and the labelling. And all of the trucks needed to get the ingredients to the Heinz factory in Wigan, and the distribution centres, and the profit that the retailers are going to need. So how much of the £1.40 do you suppose is left over to pay the farmer who grew the 465 beans that you find in each tin?

Yes, you’re absolutely right. It’s bugger all. And it’s not just beans either. McDonald’s has got staff bills and heating and lighting and a logistical empire bigger than the US navy’s. So how much of the £4 they charge for a Big Mac goes to the farmers who grew the cows and the potatoes and the flour and the tomatoes and whatever it is they put in that delicious sauce?

Answer? Not much. Which is why, historically, governments in the civilised world have given farmers subsidies and cut-price fuel and so on. It was compensation for the fact that people simply would not pay what it had cost to grow the food.

Now though, the green movement has come along and announced that it’s bad for the upper atmosphere to grow food and we must all stop. And because modern politicians have all become enslaved by idiotic left-leaning pressure groups, they’ve nodded, said OK and decided to cut farming subsidies to the bone. Which means Europe’s farmers are screwed. They can’t make anything approximating to a living wage without government help and they can’t put up prices because the supermarket system doesn’t allow it.

"we'll have our salads ready to go" - Κλαυσίγελος

 

 

I think I live in a parallel universe , when I read comments made in the Dail "we’ll have our salads"...

 

In terms of food security,  it is quite sad to hear these words coming from the leader of the green party in Ireland, the  party that is supposed to make a difference, to green our policies, to engage people in actions against climate change.

As a food scientist, I do not know if I can laugh or cry... in Greek, the word "κλαυσίγελος" means exactly that - cry and smile - together...

 

Reading again and again, the extract below, I feel that our leaders have not comprehended the serious societal and psychological and fiscal impact of this crisis. 

 

And, ok... 

fine...

I should not be grumpy, at the end of the day I am on the privileged part of the ladder...

I do not mourn for myself!

 

BUT

 

What about the 400.000 - 500.000 (out of 2.3M) people who have to face short/mid/long-term unemployment?

 

What support is going to be there for all of them?

 

Apart from Green salads...

 

 

IZ

 

 

P.S.Below is an extract of Mirriam's article on the Irish Times (20.3.2020)

 

Garden centres

In an unusual, somewhat whimsical speech, the Green Party leader also made a plea for garden centres to be kept open. A good idea – gets people out in the fresh air. They can also buy seeds and plants and do up a sunny window-box when they are self-isolation. And if food supplies become scarce and things hit really hard in a month or two, “we’ll have our salads ready to go.”
The Taoiseach arrived for the start of the debate, mainly to give moral support to his Minister for Health, who looks knackered. Face the colour of chalk, eyes like the proverbial two cigarette burns in a blanket, Simon Harris put in a very impressive and reassuring performance despite his appearance.
Speaking of food supplies, the Taoiseach appeared to pop a large boiled sweet in his mouth when he sat down. Although it could have been a hard boiled egg – hard to see from our socially distant distance. We could see his jaw moving and cheeks bulging, though, for much of his sojourn in the chamber.
He didn’t speak. Tánaiste Simon Coveney spoke near the end of the debate. He was straight-talking, like the Taoiseach had been during his state of the nation address on Monday night.
“This period will pass but will scar Irish society in a way that we are trying to limit as best we can,” he said. “The decisions that we make, the leadership that we give and the certainty that we give in terms of people protecting themselves will be the difference between whether this virus kills hundreds of people, thousands of people or tens of thousands of people in Ireland. It’s as simple as that.”