"As far as what's gone wrong, they can start with Trump's whiplash-inducing announcement of a $40 billion bailout to Make Argentina Great Again. After months of cruel and arbitrary cuts to spending on domestic and foreign aid, the Trump administration is creating an economic lifeline to prop up Argentina's corrupt anarcho-capitalist president, Javier Milei. Argentina is the third-largest producer of soybeans in the world, behind Brazil and the United States."
"Anger about Trump's tariffs-and with it, the prospect of a political reckoning in farm country-has grown so intense that the president announced a $12 billion payout to compensate farmers for what they've lost in the trade war with China. But that Band-Aid bailout amounts to barely a third of farmers' losses in 2025 alone and won't even begin to pay off the $560 billion in debt that burdens US farmers."
Farmers across the United States face deepening distress from tariffs, rising input costs, disappearing markets, stagnant product prices, and mounting debt. A $12 billion compensation falls far short of 2025 losses and does not address a $560 billion farm debt burden. A $40 billion bailout to Argentina and support for its president have intensified resentment as Argentina captures soybean markets once supplied by US farmers. Historical Democratic alignment in rural areas has weakened, creating potential for political realignment if concrete economic explanations and solutions are offered to address farm-sector collapse and market dislocation.
Read at The Nation
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