#New Farm Laws repealed

[plugincaro]

3 Farm Laws of India (2020-2021)

LAW NO 1. FREE TO SELL ANYWHERE IN INDIA:- Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act: allows farmers to: Sell Outside the physical premises of Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) market yards, Sell directly to buyers across state borders without restrictions, Promoted barrier-free inter-state and intra-state trade of agricultural produce.  It aims to…

[dwellordream]

“The Great Depression reached into every corner of the country, but it did not affect all people equally. For many middle-class women of all races, the depression required certain changes in spending patterns: buying cheaper cuts of meat, feeding the homeless men who stopped at the back door, and doing without new clothes. Some of these women continued to do community volunteer work, raising money for the unemployed. They saw the food lines, but they did not have to join them.

Among women workers, race played an important role. The fierce competition for jobs fueled racial resentments. Mexican-American and African-American women were the first to lose their jobs and the last to get relief from welfare agencies. Often, they were already living on the margin of survival. Before 1933, when the Prohibition amendment making the manufacture or sale of alcoholic beverages illegal was repealed, many of these women turned to bootlegging, making their own beer or liquor and selling it.

…Even relatively prosperous farm women--owners, not tenants--in general produced as much as 70 percent of what their families consumed in clothing, toys, and food. They not only gardened but raised poultry. During the depression, women increased the size of their gardens and the number of their hens. They made more butter from their dairy cows and sold it. They cut up the sacks that held large amounts of flour and sewed them into underwear. In the previous decade, they had proudly begun to participate in a culture of store-bought goods. Now they began to can food again. Government agents dragged huge canning kettles across the mountains of northern New Mexico and eastern Tennessee so that women in remote farming villages could preserve their food.

Even with all this work, rural children suffered from malnutrition, and rural women faced childbirth without a doctor or midwife because they could afford neither the medical fees nor the gasoline for transportation. The women resented their declining standards of living, particularly those from better-off farm families who owned their own farms and had, during the 1920s, aspired to participate in the new domestic technology of indoor bath-rooms, modern stoves and heating, and super cleanliness.

…In 1936, a federal appeals court overruled an earlier law that had classified birth control information as obscene and thus illegal to dispense. That decision still left state laws intact, however. The number of birth control clinics nationwide rose from 55 in 1930 to 300 by 1938, but in some states and in many rural areas women still had no access to birth control. In 1937, North Carolina became the first state to provide contraceptives with tax dollar, and six others soon followed. Ironically, North Carolina’s reasoning was not that birth control was a human right but that birth control would reduce the black population.

Despite statistics showing that black women had fewer babies than white women with similar incomes and living situations, many white southern officials in states with large black populations feared a black population explosion. In 1939, the Birth Control Federation of American responded to eager southern state governments by developing “The Negro Project,” a program to disseminate birth control information, which they carefully staffed with local black community leaders. Whatever the logic, one quarter of all women in the United States in their 20s during the depression never bore children. This was the highest rate of childlessness for any decade. Many people simply decided not to get married, and marriage rates fell.

…In the mass media women seemed to be receiving mixed messages. On the one hand, in 1930, the Ladies’ Home Journal featured a former career woman confessing, “I know now without any hesitation… that [my husband’s job] must come first.” In 1931, the popular magazine Outlook and Independent quoted the dean of Barnard College, a women’s college in New York City, telling her students that “perhaps the greatest service that you can render to the community… is to have the courage to refuse to work for gain.” And on its front page in 1935, the New York Times reported that women “suffering from masculine psychological states” and an “aversion to marriage” were being “cured” by the removal of their adrenal gland. In this atmosphere, not only were women workers under fire, but women who centered their lives on women rather than on men came under attack. Lesbianism was no longer chic. Lesbian bars almost disappeared. Homosexuality was now seen by many people as just one more threat to the family.

On the other hand, movie houses showed zany screwball comedies with more complicated lessons. Often deliciously ditsy, incompetent women were rescued by sensible, capable men. Yet, the men in these movies were frequently portrayed as bumbling or slower-witted than the women. Sometimes the men were people who needed joy and whimsy restored to their lives, not an unexpected theme for a nation in the throes of an economic depression. In other movies, however, women were by no means incompetent. The women portrayed by Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, and Joan Crawford in the 1930s were often intelligent but needed men alternately to tame and to soften them.”

- Sarah Jane Deutsch, “Making Do with Disaster.” in From Ballots to Breadlines: American Women, 1920-1940

[foreverlogical]

A Washington-based married couple's challenge to an obscure provision of the 2017 Republican tax law has the potential to become "the most important tax case in a century," with far-reaching implications for federal revenues, key social programs, and Congress' constitutional authority to impose levies on income.

That's according to a new report released Wednesday by the Roosevelt Institute and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP).

The policy groups estimated that if the conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court sides with the plaintiffs in Moore v. United States—which the justices are set to take up in December—nearly 400 multinational corporations could collectively receive more than $270 billion in tax relief, further enriching behemoths such as Apple, Microsoft, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and Google.

The Roosevelt Institute and ITEP also found that Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito own stock in 19 companies that are poised to receive a combined $30 billion in tax breaks if the judges strike down the 2017 law's mandatory repatriation tax, a one-time levy targeting earnings that multinational corporations had piled up overseas.

But the case could have impacts well beyond a repeal of the repatriation tax, which was projected to generate $340 billion in federal revenue over a decade.

Depending on the scope of the justices' decision, the new report argues, the Supreme Court could "suddenly supplant Congress as a major American tax policymaker, putting at legal jeopardy much of the architecture of laws that prevent corporations and individuals from avoiding taxes, and introducing great uncertainty about our democracy's ability to tax large corporations and the most affluent."

"At the best of times, blowing a $340 billion hole in the federal budget would be catastrophic," Matt Gardner, a senior fellow at ITEP and a co-author of the new report, said in a statement. "And if the court invalidates the transition tax in its Moore decision, that's exactly what would happen: possibly the costliest Supreme Court decision of all time. And it would be hard to identify a less deserving set of tax cut beneficiaries than the companies that would reap at least $271 billion from repealing this tax."

"The Roberts Court could decide with the stroke of a pen to simultaneously forgive big business decades of tax dues."

Charles and Kathleen Moore brought their challenge to the repatriation provision after they were hit with a roughly $15,000 tax bill stemming from their stake in an Indian farm equipment company. As the Tax Policy Center recently observed, the Indian firm is a "controlled foreign corporation (CFC), or a foreign corporation whose ownership or voting rights are more than 50% owned by U.S. persons who each own at least 10%."

The Moores' cause has been championed by billionaire-backed organizations and corporate lobbying groups, including the Manhattan Institute–which is chaired by billionaire hedge fund mogul Paul Singer—and the powerful U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"That such a case involving such modest sums would make it all the way to the high court indicates that there is much more at play than a single family's tax refund," ITEP's Gardner and Spandan Marasini and the Roosevelt Institute's Niko Lusiani note in the new report.

The plaintiffs' legal team argues that because the Moores' shares in the Indian firm were not "realized"—they did not sell or receive a distribution from the company—they should not have been on the hook for the repatriation tax.

"The government, on the other hand, argues that almost a century of tax law precedent has established Congress' broad authority to decide when and how to tax income, even without a specific realization event," the new report explains. "What's more, the income was clearly realized by the corporation, which is sufficient for income taxation of shareholders under various provisions of the existing tax code."

While it's possible that the Supreme Court will rule narrowly on the specifics of the Moores' situation, the report authors cautioned that the justices "could also issue a broad decision that taxing income—of an individual or a corporate shareholder—requires realization, and that income taxation on multiple years of accrued income is unconstitutional."

Such a sweeping ruling could preemptively ban a wealth tax—an outcome that right-wing supporters of the Moores have explicitly advocated.

"This case presents the court with an ideal opportunity to clarify that taxes on unrealized gains, such as wealth taxes, are direct taxes that are unconstitutional if not apportioned among the states," the Manhattan Institute declared in a May amicus brief.

A broad ruling by the high court could also imperil key elements of the existing tax code, according to ITEP and the Roosevelt Institute.

"One of the most established of these pillars is known as Subpart F, which was enacted in 1962 to prevent American corporations from avoiding taxation through offshore entities or controlled foreign corporations," the new report says. "Provisions related to Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI), the branch profits tax; tax treatment of corporate debt; and others could be uprooted by five justices."

"The Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax—enacted as part of the Inflation Reduction Act to create a basic corporate tax floor—as well as international efforts to curb international tax avoidance could be made constitutionally invalid," the report adds.

The analysis stresses that the consequences of a broad ruling in the upcoming case would be profound, affecting more than just a handful of corporate tax provisions.

"In Moore," the report warns, "the Roberts Court could decide with the stroke of a pen to simultaneously forgive big business decades of tax dues, increase the federal deficit over the long run, jeopardize future public revenue and essential social programs, escalate these multinational companies' already sizeable after-tax profits, and further enrich their shareholders."

[connorthemaoist]

Marco Valbuena | Chief Information Officer | Communist Party Of The Philippines | November 28, 2023

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) welcomes the signing of the Oslo Joint Statement last November 23 in Oslo, Norway, by the Negotiating Panel of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), and official envoys of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP). The joint statement is a declaration of intent to create conditions and set the framework for holding peace negotiations.

The Party and the New People’s Army (NPA) extend all-out support to the Negotiating Panel of the NDFP chaired by Juliet de Lima, and its esteemed members, Louie Jalandoni, Coni Ledesma and Asterio Palima, and express full confidence in their representation of the broad democratic interests of the Filipino people.

The Oslo Joint Statement is a first half-step in the long march leading to the resumption of formal peace negotiations, and in the even longer road of achieving the people’s aspiration for a just and lasting peace.

In his blood-lust, former GRP President Duterte threw ten thousand thorns and spikes at the road of peace and rendered it impassable. With the mistaken notion that the armed revolution can be crushed through sheer armed might, Duterte unleashed his war of state terrorism marked by abductions, torture, murder and massacres.

Duterte’s war was gross and bloody, but it was also an utter failure. Such failure is implicitly recognized by the fact that panels of the GRP and NDFP are now set to face each other across the table of peace negotiations.

There are peace talks because there is war. The NDFP and GRP are co-belligerents in the civil war in the Philippines. They are adversaries and represent diametrically opposed interests and objectives, but who come to the table under the declared aim of achieving a just and lasting peace.

To clear the road for peace negotiations, it is the distinct responsibility of Marcos to take the initiative to sweep away the Duterte-period thorns and spikes which litter it.

To allow the NDFP-GRP peace negotiations to move forward, Marcos must: (a) release all the NDFP peace consultants to allow them to take part in the discussions and negotiations; (b) rescind the “terrorist designation” of the NDFP, and that of Ka Luis Jalandoni, the CPP, the NPA and other personnel of the NDFP. These are critical and practical measures, without which, it is doubtful that peace negotiations can even proceed.

For the march towards peace to move forward quickly, Marcos can also withdraw the Duterte-issued Executive Order No 70 and Memorandum Order No 32, dismantle the National Task Force (NTF)-ELCAC, cause the repeal of the draconian Anti-Terror Law, order the AFP to withdraw armed soldiers conducting “localized peace negotiations” and “community support” which merely disguise the bloody suppression of peasant barangays active in defense of their land and democratic rights, and order a stop to Gaza-like aerial bombing and artillery shelling of farms and fields in the countryside.

To create conditions conducive to peace, Marcos can order the release of more than 800 political prisoners. Many of them are old and sick, and have already suffered enough undue punishment and prolonged detention as a result of multiple criminal charges in violation of the Hernandez Doctrine. A number of the political prisoners are nursing mothers who must be immediately released together with their infants.

There should be an accounting of all violations of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) in the killing and imprisonment of NDFP peace consultants.

The GRP represents the interests of the big bourgeois compradors (the so-called oligarchs and tycoons who hold vast business interests), the big landlords, the bureaucrat capitalists, who all find congruence with the economic interests and geopolitical aims of the US imperialists.

The NDFP represents the people’s democratic government and the aspirations of the oppressed and exploited classes and sectors comprising the Filipino people, including workers, peasants, fisher folk, the toiling masses, national minorities, migrant workers, youth, health workers, teachers, ordinary employees, lawyers, artists and cultural workers, women, gender minorities, and others.

It has been proven in the past that while the NDFP and the GRP represent two diametrically opposed economic interests and political aims, and continue to engage in a shooting war in the battlefield, they can forge agreements such as The Hague Declaration, the JASIG, and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

These agreements must be reaffirmed and serve as foundations for future agreements on socioeconomic reforms, as well as political and constitutional reforms.

The signing of the Oslo Joint Statement come at a time of intensifying economic and political crisis. Worsening conditions facing the Filipino people compel them to wage mass struggles to push forward their urgent demands for substantial wage increases, lower prices, reduction of land rent, lower costs of agricultural input, and so on.

The corruption, anti-people and anti-democratic policies and programs of the US-Marcos regime are causing widespread poverty and hunger, economic dispossession and dislocation. Marcos continues to unleash state terrorist violence to silence the people and suppress their grievances and resistance. In full subservience to his imperialist master, Marcos have paved the way for the US military to use the Philippines as forward base for encircling China, and the AFP as pawns in its aggressive military operations in the South China Sea.

The Filipino people have no other recourse but to continue intensifying their mass struggles and revolutionary armed struggle to defend their livelihood, their rights and the people’s national freedom, and isolate and fight the puppet, fascist and oppressive Marcos regime.

[tomorrowusa]

Climate-denying Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is making it more difficult to rebuild parts of his state devastated by major hurricanes because of his so called "war on woke".

Immigrant workers from across the US raced to Florida to help rebuild after Hurricane Ian devastated the region. But now, nearly a year later and days after another major hurricane hit, some of those workers say this time they’re staying home. Saket Soni, whose nonprofit Resilience Force advocates for thousands of disaster response workers, says there’s one clear reason behind the shift: Florida’s new immigration law, which Gov. Ron DeSantis has championed. In a survey Resilience Force conducted over several months this summer, Soni says more than half of the nonprofit organization’s roughly 2,000 members said they would not travel to Florida to help with hurricane recovery efforts because of the law. And in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, he says, many remain concerned. “They felt very fearful,” says Soni, the organization’s executive director. “No amount of money would be worth it if it meant they would be incarcerated or deported.” Normally, Soni says Resilience Force workers wouldn’t think twice before heading to a disaster zone. The group is made up largely of immigrants, many of whom are undocumented, Soni says. And much like migrant workers who follow harvest seasons and travel from farm to farm, they crisscross the US to help clean up and rebuild when disaster strikes. Soni says many of them see the skills they’ve honed over years of responding to major storms as a calling, in addition to a means of supporting their families. “Sadly,” he says, “you have all of these workers sitting in Houston and in New Orleans, coming to our offices, asking us, is there a chance this law will be repealed? Is there any chance they could go?” [ ... ] Soni, Resilience Force’s executive director, says he watched a similar scene unfold a week after the law passed. “I remember being there one afternoon and talking to a worker at lunchtime. … And he, quite literally, while he was talking to me was packing his tools into his pickup truck and leaving with his crew.” It was an early sign, Soni says, of harms caused by the immigration law. “It’s really undermining the ability of Floridians to recover after a hurricane,” he says. “It’s upending the possibility of homes being rebuilt.”

Disaster response workers are not safe in Florida but Ron DeSantis is fine with these Hitler incels who openly paraded in Orlando last weekend.

Neo-Nazi groups spew hate outside Disney World and near Orlando, officials say

Do you really want to "Make America Florida"?

[urne-buriall]

am i going mad? i swear we knew it was montana..

haha, now I'm going mad because the one place I thought I might've given it away, a post I made here about getting gay married in 2015, apparently I didn't say it? because Montana in 2014 was one of the last states to make gay marriages legal ahead of the federal legislation and that was something I'd considered when I made the post. I had also considered in the course of writing the fic, set in 1997, that Montana's sodomy law which declared same-sex acts were a crime, was only repealed on July 2, 1997

which, if you're curious, is two and a half weeks before they first kiss and Dean would not be paying much attention to that kind of news. Cas, who I always pictured as being more in touch with LGBT people, news, and culture, wouldn't have let an unfair law stop him but when he heard the news that day he still felt a breath of relief to know he wouldn't be made a criminal simply for having a loving consensual relationship

that's off our course entirely. I wonder if I mentioned it in a comment, but if that's the case it could be lost to the sands of time. otherwise I was pretty cautious and didn't mention Montana. the nearest we get for geography in the fic is this here:

“[The closest kill farm] used to be in Oregon,” said Cas. “But that one burnt down in July. Now, I guess… North Platte, Nebraska. On this side of the border. The others are in Texas, it would be too far. But we should look north, to Alberta, too.”

[ausetkmt]

Black Farmers who faced discrimination are eligible for $2.2 billion from the USDA : NPR

he Department of Agriculture building is seen in Washington, D.C., on July 22, 2019.

Alastair Pike/AFP via Getty Images

The Agriculture Department on Thursday announced it is beginning the process of creating a program that will ultimately dole out $2.2 billion to farmers who have faced discrimination from the agency in the past.

Beginning Friday, the department is seeking public comment on how it should design, implement and administer the program.

The department was directed by Congress in the recently passed Democratic reconciliation bill to create a brand new program to give out the money. It was also directed to select one or more third parties, or nongovernmental organizations, to carry out the program instead of USDA itself. A Democratic staffer familiar with the legislation said that was done to address farmers' concerns of USDA bias in such a program.

This is another attempt to address past discrimination

The funding is another push by congressional Democrats, led by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., to address historical discrimination within farming and USDA. It also helps to fulfill one of President Biden's campaign promises to reduce inequities for socially disadvantaged farmers.

Advocates for farmers of color have long argued that for decades, the USDA denied loans, credit, representation and inclusion leading to a large loss of landownership particularly among Black farmers.

Last year, Democrats passed a $5 billion debt relief program aimed specifically for farmers of color. But that program was swiftly stalled in courts by white farmers, including Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who sued in his own capacity backed by former Trump adviser Stephen Miller.

This forced Congress to either rewrite the law or abandon the effort.

Tucked in the recently passed reconciliation bill are two provisions: the $2.2 billion to address discrimination and a separate $3.1 billion in debt relief for "economically distressed borrowers," which does include white farmers.

USDA has yet to announce how it will structure the latest debt relief effort. But the department has reviewed blowback over the delay to implement the promised financial relief — even while it was stalled.

Just Wednesday, four farmers of color in Virginia sued USDA claiming the repeal of the debt relief program and replacement in reconciliation is a breach of contract.

What to expect from the USDA moving forward

Thursday's move — known as a request for information — offers an opportunity for farmers, advocates, lawmakers and more to provide advice on selecting the third-party program administrator and to provide recommendations, conducting outreach to farmers who borrowed from USDA and how the department should even identify who has been discriminated against.

There is a 30-day comment period for the public along with weekly listening sessions hosted by the department. After the comments are collected and reviewed, the department will look to select the third parties to administer the program, according to a USDA official, and design the program while recruiting the organizations to run the program.

The request for information has "very specific questions but people are going to have very different lived experiences and what we really want to know is the thing that would make the program work for them," the USDA official said. "What we want is a farm-focused program that will work in ways that maybe others have not."

[influencermagazineuk]

From Tax to Homes, UK Politicians Make Economy a Battleground for Election

As the UK gears up for a national election on July 4, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the opposition Labour Party are zeroing in on the economy as their primary campaign focus. Prime Minister Sunak recently highlighted a promising outlook after new data revealed Britain's inflation rate had dropped to nearly 2%. However, Labour's Rachel Reeves, aiming to replace Jeremy Hunt as finance minister, emphasized that many voters still feel significant financial pressure. Both parties have outlined their economic policies, showing notable similarities as Labour leader Keir Starmer has steered his party toward the political center. Britain's tax burden is at its highest since World War II, following increased public spending during the pandemic and a spike in energy prices in 2022. Sunak aims to distinguish his party by proposing the elimination of all social security contributions paid by workers in the long run. Labour, however, deems this plan impractical and has pledged not to raise income tax or corporation tax rates. Instead, they plan to impose value-added tax on private school fees and tax the overseas income of UK residents with non-domiciled status. Both parties' reluctance to broadly increase taxes raises concerns about how they will fund public services and address public finances. Hunt's future public spending cuts have been criticized by external economists as implausible, given the existing strain on many public services. Hunt argues that future productivity gains in the public sector will justify his fiscal plans, a challenge that has historically proven difficult. Labour promises to enhance public services and end chronic under-investment in infrastructure and other areas crucial for economic growth. Sunak and Hunt introduced new budget rules in 2022 following a bond market crisis during Truss' brief tenure. The main rule mandates that public debt should decrease as a share of GDP within five years, a target the government is barely meeting, leaving little room for tax cuts or increased spending. Another rule caps government borrowing at 3% of GDP within the same timeframe. Labour intends to maintain the debt target but will apply the borrowing rule solely to day-to-day spending, allowing for more borrowing to fund investments. However, they have abandoned a plan to borrow up to £28 billion annually for green investments. Labour aims to decarbonize the power system by 2030, five years ahead of the Conservatives' target. Their plan includes facilitating new onshore wind farms, creating a state energy company, and establishing a national wealth fund to invest in green technologies. The Conservatives argue these plans will be far more expensive than Labour claims. Last year, Sunak postponed a ban on new petrol car sales but reaffirmed his commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Sunak has improved relations with the European Union, yet Brexit continues to impact the economy negatively. New checks on food imports from the EU present fresh challenges for businesses. Starmer has vowed to enhance the UK's relationship with the EU from 2025 when the partnership deal is reviewed, though he insists the UK will not rejoin the single market or a customs union. In the lead-up to the 2019 election, the Conservatives pledged to build 300,000 new homes annually in England by the mid-2020s. However, plans to relax planning rules were scaled back to avoid voter backlash. Last year, fewer than 250,000 homes were built across England, Wales, and Scotland. Labour promises to reform the planning system to speed up the construction of homes and infrastructure, granting more powers to local authorities to expedite projects. Labour plans to significantly limit zero-hours contracts, enhance job security for new hires, and increase sick pay. They also intend to repeal laws restricting trade union activities and promote flexible working arrangements. Employers have voiced concerns, prompting Labour to promise consultations with them on policy. The Conservatives warn that Labour's proposals could lead to job losses and more strikes. Starmer emphasizes the political volatility since Brexit, with five Conservative prime ministers in eight years contributing to low business investment. He argues that a stable Labour government, potentially with a strong parliamentary majority as polls suggest, could reduce investor anxiety. Read the full article

[24-factoz-news]

SoftBank Trims Stake in Paytm, Stock Price Drops

SoftBank Group Corporation, a major investor in Paytm, the Indian digital payments company, has reduced its stake by 2.17%. This follows a series of stake sales by SoftBank in recent months, as the Japanese conglomerate looks to raise funds and pare down its investments.

The news of the stake sale sent Paytm’s stock price tumbling by 4% on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Investors remain cautious about Paytm’s future prospects, given the company’s ongoing struggle to turn a profit and intense competition in the Indian fintech market.

Here’s a breakdown of the key points:

SoftBank sold a 2.17% stake in Paytm.

This follows a series of stake sales by SoftBank in recent months.

Paytm’s stock price dropped by 4% on the news.

Investors are cautious about Paytm’s future due to profitability concerns and stiff competition.

It’s important to note that:

This is not the first time SoftBank has sold its stake in Paytm.

Paytm is facing challenges, but it remains a major player in the Indian digital payments market.

The future of Paytm’s stock price will depend on various factors, including the company’s ability to turn a profit and compete effectively in the market.

Read More News-

[mytownblog]

Voices of Resistance: Understanding the Farmer Protests in India

The farmer protests, primarily centered in India, have garnered significant attention globally due to their scale, duration, and the issues they highlight. Initiated in late 2020, these protests primarily revolve around three contentious agricultural laws passed by the Indian government: the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act.

Farmers argue that these laws undermine the existing agricultural marketing structure, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation by corporations and weakening the government-regulated mandi system. They fear that dismantling the mandi system will result in the loss of minimum support prices (MSP) for their crops, leaving them at the mercy of private buyers. Additionally, they express concerns about the lack of provisions for dispute resolution in the new laws and the potential erosion of their bargaining power.

The protests have seen a diverse coalition of farmers from various states, representing different crops and socio-economic backgrounds, coming together to demand the repeal of the contentious laws. Their protests have taken the form of peaceful demonstrations, rallies, road blockades, and even a prolonged sit-in at the borders of Delhi, the capital of India.

Despite multiple rounds of negotiations between the government and farmer unions, a resolution has been elusive. The protests have evolved into a broader movement advocating for agrarian reforms, fair prices for agricultural produce, and support for small and marginal farmers. The farmer protests have not only brought attention to the challenges faced by farmers in India but have also sparked debates about the future of agriculture, land reforms, and the role of the state in regulating agricultural markets.

[333mots]

In sanitarium, Korean tanka poet ‘read’ braille with his tongue

By TOMOKO TAKAKI

KUSATSU, Gunma Prefecture--Kim Ha-il went to his death largely unmourned and largely unknown, yet he led an extraordinary existence.

A native of what is now South Korea, Kim spent more than 80 of his 96 years in Japan, where he faced discrimination on two fronts: for being ethnic Korean and later as a sufferer of Hansen’s disease.

Blind and unable to use his fingers, Kim taught himself to “read” by hovering over printed matter and running his tongue over the braille pages.

His great joy in life was composing tanka poems.

DYING WISH

When he died last summer, his ashes were buried in the grounds of the sanitarium where he spent the last decades of his life isolated from society. His dying wish, which his next of kin managed to honor last fall, was to be placed in a grave alongside his parents in his native South Korea. 

Kim was born into a farming family when the Korean Peninsula was under Japanese colonial rule. He crossed the Korea Strait to Japan when he was 13 years old.

His life was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with Hansen’s disease, or leprosy as it was known in those days.

Even the liberation of the Korean Peninsula following Japan’s 1945 defeat in the Pacific War brought no obvious benefit to his life in Japan.

HIDDEN FROM SOCIETY

Kim would soon become a patient at Kuriu Rakusenen, a sanitarium in this mountain town famous for its hot springs, where he spent the remainder of his life. His compulsory segregation was mandated by the Leprosy Prevention Law that held sway for just over four decades. The law was only repealed in 1996.

Kim’s illness eventually caused him to go blind. His sole source of solace lay in composing 31-syllable tanka poems in Japanese, such as this one: “The tip of my tongue feels slightly flushed/ As I finish reading a braille letter/ For the first time in a long while.”

Even though the disease robbed Kim of his eyesight and the use of his fingers, he was determined to teach himself to read to satisfy his craving for books.

Kim developed his own method after learning about a fellow blind person who had lost both hands in the war and was using their lips to read braille.

His tongue often became chafed and sometimes bloodstained due to the poor quality of paper he licked. Kim’s mastery of reading with his tongue inspired others to learn.

Under colonial rule, Kim was classified as “Japanese.” But after the war, his status changed to “ethnic Korean in Japan.”

Besides encountering discrimination as a Hansen’s disease patient, he was also treated as an outcast at the sanitarium for being ethnic Korean.

Marked for discrimination because of his cultural background and then his disease, Kim turned to tanka to reflect on the absurdity of his situation and as a way to unclutter his feelings for his native land.

POIGNANT POEMS

“There is no fingerprint/ On my alien registration card/ Because I have no finger/ With which I could be fingerprinted,” goes a piece he penned on the now-defunct alien registration system that was used to record information on foreign residents in Japan.

“Kim Ha-il expressed the adversity of being an ethnic Korean in Japan in the 5-7-5-7-7 syllable pattern of this traditional Japanese verse form of tanka,” said Kim Kwiboon, a curator with the National Hansen’s Disease Museum. “It was precisely like he was saying, ‘Here’s an ethnic Korean in Japan.’ He was a mild-mannered person, but his poems were poignant.”

Kim appeared to yearn for his homeland more and more as the years went by, the museum curator said.

Kim also composed poems about love.

“‘If you are sick/ I’ll wait until you are completely healthy’/ So you said/ And you are 76.”’

Social worker Junichi Matsushita said Kim was bedridden in his twilight years.

REACHING OUT

Perhaps aware of his approaching end, Kim entrusted Matsushita with a letter expressing gratitude to a severely disabled woman who had encouraged him, when he was younger, to seek to reintegrate into society.

“For Kim Ha-il, who was in the sanitarium all the time, she was probably an unforgettable person and an unforgettable memory,” said Matsushita, 48.

Kim Manri, an Osaka-based dancer to whom the missive was directed, said she was overcome with nostalgia when she received the letter.

She bravely opted to live away from the sanitarium despite her serious disabilities and had urged Kim to do the same more than 40 years ago when the segregation policy was still in effect.

“Why don’t you come and rejoin society, despite your disabilities?” she told him at the time. “We will support you together, with housing and finding work.”

Kim dreamed of living in Osaka, which has a sizable Korean community, but prevaricated.

He cited his blindness, inability to move his hands and the toll the disease had taken on his facial features. He feared he would face even more prejudice, Kim Manri said.

“I was reckless enough to invite him to reintegrate into society,” she said. “Perhaps he had never experienced anything like that before, and he found it novel. I am so happy I could cry, because I have learned that he kept the memory so dear to himself, even though we met only once.”

WISH GRANTED

Kim Ha-il died of natural causes on June 10, 2023.

Three of his family members, who had been entrusted with his dying wish to be buried beside his parents’ graves, visited the Kuriu Rakusenen sanitarium on Oct. 5 last year to collect his ashes.

Park Soon-ja, a 73-year-old resident of Maebashi, the Gunma prefectural capital, who befriended Kim and acted as his interpreter on occasion, received an email from one of the family members a month later.

The message said that Kim’s ashes were placed on a hillock in his native North Gyeongsang province in South Korea, just as he had wished in life.

The email went on to say: “Uncle was feeling lonely all the time, but I didn’t even have an opportunity to comfort him. I have come to think about Uncle’s life.”

“He was in the sanitarium, but his life influenced so many people,” Park said pensively.

Many of the Hansen’s disease patients who were forcibly segregated in sanitariums under the national policy were estranged from their family members and had no choice but to be buried in the grounds of their institutions where they lived out their days.

It was almost unheard of for a deceased patient’s remains to be collected by family members, and the act of repatriation to other side of the strait was extremely rare.

Kim Ha-il now reposes beside his parents’ graves. His close kin said they will plant fruit trees around the gravesite. Nearby stands a monument inscribed with a tanka he composed in Japan.

“The mountains are calm/ With cawing of crows reaching my ears/ From time to time from afar.” 

A CD with a Korean folk song titled “Arirang” was left in his sanitarium room, which is now unoccupied.

[acelandscapes-au]

Revolution on the Roads: Delhi Farmer Protest Movement

The “Farmer Protest Delhi Farmer Go Delhi” movement marks a watershed moment in the history of agrarian activism in India. Originating in response to contentious agricultural laws passed by the Indian government, this movement has captured global attention with its scale, resilience, and determination. As farmers, predominantly from the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, converged on the borders of the Indian capital, Delhi, they not only demanded the repeal of the new farm laws but also sought to shed light on the systemic challenges plaguing India’s agricultural sector.

At its heart, the farmer protest in Delhi is a manifestation of the deep-rooted grievances of India’s farming community. The three contentious laws, passed in September 2020, aimed to deregulate agricultural markets, allowing farmers to sell their produce directly to private buyers. However, farmers feared that these laws would dismantle the existing system of government-regulated wholesale markets, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation by large corporations. Despite assurances from the government, farmers remained steadfast in their opposition, viewing the laws as a threat to their livelihoods and autonomy.

Since November 2020, the borders of Delhi have transformed into epicenters of resistance, with makeshift camps and tractor-trolleys serving as symbols of protest. The movement has been marked by its peaceful nature, with farmers employing sit-ins, road blockades, and hunger strikes to amplify their demands. Solidarity has poured in from various quarters, including activists, politicians, and celebrities, further galvanizing the movement and drawing attention to the plight of farmers.

The farmer go delhi for protest has not only been about legislative reform but has also underscored broader issues such as agrarian distress, rural poverty, and the widening gap between farmers and policymakers. For decades, Indian farmers have grappled with inadequate support mechanisms, ranging from access to credit and irrigation to fair prices for their produce. The protest has served as a stark reminder of the urgent need for comprehensive agricultural reforms that prioritize the welfare of farmers and ensure a sustainable future for Indian agriculture.

The resilience of the protesting farmers has been put to the test, particularly in the face of adverse weather conditions, logistical challenges, and attempts to discredit their movement. Despite facing numerous obstacles, including internet shutdowns and barricades erected by authorities, the farmers have remained undeterred in their pursuit of justice. Their unwavering resolve and spirit of unity have inspired admiration and solidarity not only within India but also across the globe.

As the farmer protest in Delhi continues to unfold, it has become a defining moment in India’s socio-political landscape, reflecting the power of grassroots mobilization and collective action. Beyond its immediate objectives, the movement has sparked conversations about democracy, social justice, and the role of citizens in shaping policy decisions. Whether it leads to a resolution remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the voices of India’s farmers can no longer be ignored, and their struggle has become emblematic of a larger quest for a more equitable and inclusive society.

[werindialive]

Farmers to Block Trains Amidst Round 3 Talks with Centre

As tensions continue to simmer over contentious agricultural reforms, farmers have announced plans to intensify their protests on Day 3 by blocking trains across several regions. This is the latest political news in India today that has left every Indian wondering what's going to happen next in the Farmer’s Protest. However, negotiations are set to resume for the third round between the protesting farmers and the central government, aiming to find common ground amid the ongoing standoff.

Protests Escalate

Following two days of widespread demonstrations and road blockades, farmers are now turning their attention to railway tracks in a bid to amplify their voices. The decision to block trains comes as a strategic move by farmers' unions to mount pressure on the government, demanding the repeal of the recently enacted farm laws.

Round 3 Talks

Amidst the escalating protests, the third round of talks between farmer representatives and government officials is scheduled to take place today. The discussions come after the previous rounds failed to yield any breakthrough, with both sides remaining firm on their respective stands. The outcome of today's dialogue holds significant importance in determining the future course of action and a possible resolution to the impasse.

Growing Tensions

With the protests showing no signs of abating, tensions remain high, particularly in the regions surrounding protest sites and key transportation routes. Security measures have been heightened to prevent any untoward incidents, while authorities brace themselves for potential disruptions caused by the blockade of trains.

The ongoing standoff between the farmers and the government has garnered widespread attention and sparked debates across the nation. Concerns over the impact of the protests on essential supplies, transportation, and the economy continue to escalate, adding urgency to the need for a swift resolution.

As the farmers gear up for another day of protests and negotiations, all eyes are on the outcome of the third round of talks. While hopes for a breakthrough remain, the path to a resolution appears fraught with challenges. As the nation waits with bated breath, the fate of millions of farmers and the future of agricultural reform hang in the balance.

[theoldhempfarmer]

Same as it ever was... Same as it ever was...

Same as it ever was… Same as it ever was…

Dateline 11-21-23

Last night, we finally got a real rain here in Middle Tennessee and we needed it, badly. The dry weather that blessed the last couple of weeks that our Cannabis crop matured has persisted. Honestly, the landscape started looking like Colorado (think Boulder), if you know what I mean. Presently it continues to rain lightly, which calls for a cozy hot cup of coffee and some Cacao fortified with Tennessee homegrown Cannabis extract. As The Old Hemp Farmer listens to the light patter of rain on the window panes I will try to focus enough to string together enough coherent thoughts to justify calling this blurb an article or column. Anyway, I’m not sure anyone noticed that over the weekend Congress extended the 2018 Farm Bill until the end of next year. That’s right, Washington kicked the “Cannabis Can” down the road, once again. I wrote in an earlier article that it seemed impossible for the House and the Senate to get their act together enough to pass an immense agricultural bill. I’m not sure if folks realize how important agriculture is the United States, it's huge and Hemp is only a small part of the 2018 Farm Bill. So now once again the Hemp Derived Cannabinoid Industry remains in the Twilight Zone known as the 2018 Farm Bill. Imagine if will, a place with a “Mad Max” 20 billion USD plus Cannabis market, where Black Market Recreational Flower gets sold as “Hemp” THCa flower and Hemp Derived D8 THC distillate get sold in Recreational States as D9 THC distillate. Where anybody can make products such HCH, THC “O” or THC “P” with little or no supervision during manufacture or sale. The extension of 2018 Farm Bill also continues to be a symbol of the nothingness that exists in the Federal Government when it comes to Hemp Derived Cannabinoids or Recreational Cannabis. Remember the SAFE Banking Act of 2023? It was going to open up banking to Cannabis companies and we’d all be making sales to places and people never imagined. Well, it appears that the SAFE Banking Act 2023 is quickly going to become the SAFE Banking Act 2024.

2022 wasn’t a great year for a large part of the Cannabis Industry especially with MSO (Multi State Operators) Cannabis businesses that hemorrhaged obscene amounts of money. The one ray of Sunshine that suppose to happen in 2023 was that the Hemp Derived Cannabis Industry would get FDA guidance and interstate banking, while Recreational Cannabis would get tax relief through the repeal of 280e. As 2023 comes quickly to an end, Senators and Representatives will soon leave Washington for the Holidays. Which means once again, the folks in Washington D.C. managed to runout the clock without making any hard decisions. So the chances that anything happening in Cannabis any time soon are slim or none and slim is getting ready to leave town. Right now, the majority of the folks in elected office would rather not make any decisions that they might have to explain during next year’s election. So The Old Hemp Farmer is going to do a “Hot Take” and once again predict that there will little or no Federal Legislative Cannabis action in 2024. The reality is that most politicians really wish that Cannabis would go away because let’s face it, Cannabis is complicated. So in 2024, at the Federal level Cannabis things will remain the same as it ever was. There will probably won't be any new Cannabis laws or changes in Hemp Derived Cannabis regulations that will make Cannabis Business any easier or more profitable. If anything any Cannabis legislation in Washington D.C. or Nashville does happen in 2024, it will probably make the Cannabis Industry weirder. Anyway as always, Hemp Dawgs and Hemp Puppies keep one eye on the weather and the other eye on the market.

Visit our Tennessee homegrown web site to try our great products: https://www.tnhomegrown.com

The Wife's web site: https://www.theoldhempfarmerswife.com

Our Podcast - Full Contact Cannabis: https://fullcontactcannabis.podbean.com

[whatsonmedia]

Workers, Farmers Hold Rally In Delhi

Thousands of workers and farmers from across the country gathered at Ramlila Maidan on Tuesday to protest against the central government's policies. The protest, organized by several left - wing workers and farmers' unions, saw a massive turnout, with participants carrying placards and shouting slogans against the government's policies. Women workers sit under temporary structures as they try to protect themselves from scorching sun during the Mazdoor-Kisan Sangharsh Rally called by CITU, AIKS and AIAWU, at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. Masdoor- Kisan Sangarsh march The Centre of Trade Unions (CITU), All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), and All India Agricultural Workers Union(AIAWU) organised the Masdoor-Kisan Sangarsh march. Protesters Allegations The protesters alleged that the government's policies have hurt the interests of workers and farmers. They demanded that the government repeal the three new farm laws. Which they claim would lead to the corporatization of agriculture and the exploitation of farmers. The protest also demanded the immediate withdrawal of the labor codes. Which they claim would lead to the casualization of labor and the loss of job security. “The labor codes will make us slaves of the corporate” "The government is working for the benefit of the corporate and not the farmers and workers. The farm laws will lead to the destruction of our livelihoods. And the labor codes will make us slaves of the corporate," said one of the protesters. Opposition parties’ support Several leaders from the opposition parties, including the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, and the Samajwadi Party, also addressed the gathering, lending their support to the protesters. "The government is not listening to the voice of the farmers and workers. They are only interested in fulfilling the demands of their corporate masters. We stand with the farmers and workers in their fight against these anti-people policies," said a senior Congress leader. Role of The police The police had made elaborate arrangements to maintain law and order during the protest. The protesters were allowed to gather at Ramlila Maidan, but strict security measures were in place to prevent any untoward incidents. When the protest started? The protest comes at a time when the country is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Which has led to a severe economic crisis. The workers and farmers claim that the government's policies have exacerbated their plight. And demanded that the government take urgent measures to address their concerns. The protest ended peacefully, with the leaders of the workers and farmers' unions announcing that they would intensify their agitation if the government did not address their demands. The protest closely watched by political observers, who say that it could be a precursor to a broader movement against the government's policies. The government, on the other hand, expected to take a tough stance. And resist any pressure to roll back its policies. Read the full article

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 3.18

37 – Roman Senate annuls Tiberius' will and proclaims Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (aka Caligula = Little Boots) emperor. 1068 – An earthquake in the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula leaves up to 20,000 dead. 1229 – Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, declares himself King of Jerusalem in the Sixth Crusade. 1241 – First Mongol invasion of Poland: Mongols overwhelm Polish armies in Kraków in the Battle of Chmielnik and plunder the city. 1314 – Jacques de Molay, the 23rd and final Grand Master of the Knights Templar, is burned at the stake. 1438 – Albert II of Habsburg becomes King of the Romans. 1571 – Valletta is made the capital city of Malta. 1608 – Susenyos is formally crowned Emperor of Ethiopia. 1644 – The Third Anglo-Powhatan War begins in the Colony of Virginia. 1673 – English lord John Berkeley sold his half of New Jersey to the Quakers 1741 – New York governor George Clarke's complex at Fort George is burned in an arson attack, starting the New York Conspiracy of 1741. 1766 – American Revolution: The British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act. 1793 – The first modern republic in Germany, the Republic of Mainz, is declared by Andreas Joseph Hofmann. 1793 – Flanders Campaign of the French Revolution, Battle of Neerwinden. 1834 – Six farm labourers from Tolpuddle, Dorset, England are sentenced to be transported to Australia for forming a trade union. 1848 – The premiere of Fry's Leonora in Philadelphia is the first known performance of an grand opera by an American composer. 1848 – March Revolution: In Berlin there is a struggle between citizens and military, costing about 300 lives. 1865 – American Civil War: The Congress of the Confederate States adjourns for the last time. 1871 – Declaration of the Paris Commune; President of the French Republic, Adolphe Thiers, orders the evacuation of Paris. 1874 – The Hawaiian Kingdom signs a treaty with the United States granting exclusive trade rights. 1899 – Phoebe, a satellite of Saturn, becomes first to be discovered with photographs, taken in August 1898, by William Henry Pickering. 1902 – Macario Sakay issues Presidential Order No. 1 of his Tagalog Republic. 1913 – King George I of Greece is assassinated in the recently liberated city of Thessaloniki. 1915 – World War I: During the Battle of Gallipoli, three battleships are sunk during a failed British and French naval attack on the Dardanelles. 1921 – The second Peace of Riga is signed between Poland and the Soviet Union. 1921 – The Kronstadt rebellion is suppressed by the Red Army. 1922 – In India, Mohandas Gandhi is sentenced to six years in prison for civil disobedience, of which he serves only two. 1925 – The Tri-State Tornado hits the Midwestern states of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killing 695 people. 1937 – The New London School explosion in New London, Texas, kills 300 people, mostly children. 1937 – Spanish Civil War: Spanish Republican forces defeat the Italians at the Battle of Guadalajara. 1938 – Mexico creates Pemex by expropriating all foreign-owned oil reserves and facilities. 1940 – World War II: Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini meet at the Brenner Pass in the Alps and agree to form an alliance against France and the United Kingdom. 1942 – The War Relocation Authority is established in the United States to take Japanese Americans into custody. 1944 – Mount Vesuvius in Italy erupts, killing 26 people, causing thousands to flee their homes, and destroying dozens of Allied bombers. 1948 – Soviet consultants leave Yugoslavia in the first sign of the Tito–Stalin Split. 1953 – An earthquake hits western Turkey, killing at least 1,070 people. 1959 – The Hawaii Admission Act is signed into law. 1962 – The Évian Accords end the Algerian War of Independence, which had begun in 1954. 1965 – Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, leaving his spacecraft Voskhod 2 for 12 minutes, becomes the first person to walk in space. 1966 – United Arab Airlines Flight 749 crashes on approach to Cairo International Airport in Cairo, Egypt, killing 30 people. 1967 – The supertanker Torrey Canyon runs aground off the Cornish coast. 1968 – Gold standard: The U.S. Congress repeals the requirement for a gold reserve to back US currency. 1969 – The United States begins secretly bombing the Sihanouk Trail in Cambodia, used by communist forces to infiltrate South Vietnam. 1970 – Lon Nol ousts Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia. 1971 – Peru: A landslide crashes into Yanawayin Lake, killing 200 people at the mining camp of Chungar. 1974 – Güzel İstanbul, a nude sculpture by Gürdal Duyar in Istanbul is torn down in the middle of the night. 1980 – A Vostok-2M rocket at Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 43 explodes during a fueling operation, killing 48 people. 1990 – Germans in the German Democratic Republic vote in the first democratic elections in the former communist dictatorship. 1990 – In the largest art theft in US history, 12 paintings, collectively worth around $500 million, are stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. 1994 – Bosnia's Bosniaks and Croats sign the Washington Agreement, ending war between the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and establishing the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. 1996 – A nightclub fire in Quezon City, Philippines kills 162 people. 1997 – The tail of a Russian Antonov An-24 charter plane breaks off while en route to Turkey, causing the plane to crash and killing all 50 people on board. 2014 – The parliaments of Russia and Crimea sign an accession treaty. 2015 – The Bardo National Museum in Tunisia is attacked by gunmen. Twenty-three people, almost all tourists, are killed, and at least 50 other people are wounded.