Donald Trump has successfully made a big ol’ fucking mess out of the United States agricultural system since his trade war with China has resulted in record rates of bankruptcy filings for American farmers. China has just announced that they will be retaliating against Trump’s 10 percent tariff increase on products from the country by refusing to purchase any more agricultural products from the United States.
Given the fact that the trade war between the US, on behalf of Donald Trump, and China has resulted in nothing but turmoil and hardship for the American farmer and their families, it’s safe to say that they certainly don’t find the situation to be a laughing matter as they struggle to make their rent.
But evidently, Trump’s Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue thinks it’s downright hilarious — probably because he’s most likely never seen the inside of a cornfield in his life.
During a recent meeting with a group of Minnesota farmers, Perdue thought he’d try his hand at a little joke:
“What do you call two farmers in a basement?” Perdue quipped before answering, “A whine cellar.”
According to Agri-Pulse, Perdue’s “joke” rightly elicited a rambunctious round of boos from the farmers who obviously didn’t take well to the Agricultural Secretary making a complete mockery about their impending poverty.
And farmers from across the country are finally starting to speak out against the clusterfuck that Donald Trump and his administration have made out of their livelihoods:
One North Dakota farmer, Bob Kuylen, who lost $70 per acre this year and is only being recompensated $15 per acre by Trump’s bailout, told CNBC, “No one is buying our product no more, and we have no markets no more.”
“There’s no incentive to keep farming, except that I’ve invested everything I have in farming, and it’s hard to walk away,” he stated.
Even after Perdue cracked his little joke, farmers still attempted to utilize the event to explain their hardship — Minnesota Corn Growers Association President Brian Thalmann chiding Perdue and Trump’s administration for making light of a situation that is ruining their lives.
“We’re not starting to do great again,” Thalmann stated. “Things are going downhill very quickly.”
One member of the American Soybean Association, Joel Schreurs added, “We’ve worked a long time to develop these markets.” He also added that even if the trade war should suddenly end tomorrow, the markets are “not going to come back in a day or two.”
But sure, Perdue. Keep cracking jokes. You’re just ensuring that we won’t be subjected to another four years of this bullshit.
Featured image via Flickr/ The White HouseÂ
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