Corporate Welfare for Farmers Is Swell until It’s Not: The Case of Arizona Reservoirs
The US federal government has a long history of intervening in voluntary human action, frequently tilting the scales to favor some over others. This is perhaps more apparent when vital resources, like water and marginally productive land, are involved. The US West, and in particular the southwestern US, provide great examples, some of which have been documented at mises.org over the years (see here and here). Politicians and interest groups go out of their way to prop up their sides and support their interests, even if at least some of those interests would not exist at all without state support. After all, no politician wants to be accused of betting against America (whatever that means). But eventually government benefits have unintended consequences.
Arizona is not often thought of as an agricultural paradise. Plants can’t be intensively grown in dry, sandy soils—the desert was simply not designed for this purpose. Water is a precious commodity here. And yet acres and acres of cotton, alfalfa, and sorghum (as well as other crops) are produced here. The reason for this apparent abundan
Article from Mises Wire
