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Comment by whycome | Hacker News Reader

But youve clearly defined what the problem is. Is a tariff the solution?

Yes it is not the answer. About this issue see https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/editorial/2022/12/04/why-its-...

Tariffs look more and more like the Bolivian Tree Lizard cleanup plans: https://youtu.be/P9yruQM1ggc

It’s not the only solution, but it is one, as we saw back in the first Trump administration and their tariffs on, and the resulting counter tariffs from, China. It will almost certainly dramatically reduce demand for crops like this from the US, which will lead to less farmers (as many leave the business or go bankrupt) and ultimately less water usage by the farmers.

What does US farmers going bankrupt solve?

Farmland is overpriced in part due to farm subsidies. It will help bring land prices back to earth for other uses.

These people are standing in a burning house, happy they won't have to pay the heating bill

I believe you may have some reading comprehension problem with what they laid out?

At least in the parents posters mind that less farm exports leads to less water usage. Hence bankrupt farmers solves things like aquifers going empty and lakes draining leavings environmental disasters.

Now, how it actually works out in the end may be different, but the concept doesn't seem completely broken at first appearance.

Bankrupting farmers isn't a solution. That's like also saying bankrupting consumers means they'll eat less. The initial problem laid out what farm products leaving for China. They had no problem with using the water, just that its products were being exported rather than used locally. Also, water is a local cycle. Keep the products close to put the water back into the systems.

> That's like also saying bankrupting consumers means they'll eat less.

I would presume that this is true, in the sense that the overall economic footprint of what these bankrupted consumers eat will be smaller.

The caloric difference will be insignificant. But instead of having it come from meat, and especially cattle, have it come from vegetables and poultry.

No one needs to eat red meat every day.

Honestly it feels a bit like pissing one's pants to get some warmth in winter. It solves the immediate problem, but how it works out in the end...

> I believe you may have some reading comprehension problem with what they laid out?

Why the personal attack?

The top level comment didn't claim that it would solve the water problem, but that it would solve some apparent problem with Utahns but being able to buy alfalfa. Now another commentor is saying that it'll solve the water problem by putting farmers out of business. Is there a local unmet need for alfalfa?

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