I haven't watched the video yet, but as someone from the US Midwest it feels very strange to characterize other countries as obsessed with corn. Maybe the video addresses that though. I'll edit...
I haven't watched the video yet, but as someone from the US Midwest it feels very strange to characterize other countries as obsessed with corn. Maybe the video addresses that though. I'll edit with my thoughts once I watch it.
It may interest you to know that Xi Jinping of China is also somewhat obsessed with corn (and soybeans), having visited farms in rural Iowa both before and after becoming paramount leader (though...
It may interest you to know that Xi Jinping of China is also somewhat obsessed with corn (and soybeans), having visited farms in rural Iowa both before and after becoming paramount leader (though this might be more of an interest in American farming methods rather than necessarily in corn itself).
I just think it's strange to characterize other countries as being "obsessed with" crops that we grow in absolutely absurd amounts ourselves in the US. I don't think I've ever seen a farmer's...
I just think it's strange to characterize other countries as being "obsessed with" crops that we grow in absolutely absurd amounts ourselves in the US. I don't think I've ever seen a farmer's field growing anything other than corn or soybeans. Driving through the Midwest it's all you see. Would we describe this as an obsession when the US does it? Or only when scary foreign governments learn from us and do the same thing?
I don't think that the characterization is quite as malicious as you make it out to be. I think that American media depicts foreign leaders' interest in corn as 'obsessions' because it's an...
Would we describe this as an obsession when the US does it? Or only when scary foreign governments learn from us and do the same thing?
I don't think that the characterization is quite as malicious as you make it out to be. I think that American media depicts foreign leaders' interest in corn as 'obsessions' because it's an interest in, well, corn. It's as common a crop as it gets to us in America. But to leaders of countries with historical issues with food production, like the Soviet Union, or countries with potential future food insecurities, like China, corn is interesting as a way to solve current or future food supply issues.
To make up an analogy, if Biden started speaking about the potential of taro, and started traveling abroad to the most rural parts of Nigeria and China to speak to taro farmers, I wouldn't find it odd at all if local media described his actions as an 'obsession' with taro.
I understand your perspective but I do think that it's worth criticizing framing this as "obsession" when it comes from leaders of developing countries trying to learn from US agricultural...
I understand your perspective but I do think that it's worth criticizing framing this as "obsession" when it comes from leaders of developing countries trying to learn from US agricultural practices but not as such when the US propagates corn monoculture to a nigh-absurd degree. I think part of it is probably just YouTube title-ism here, but I don't think it's reading too much into it to recognize some dissonance there.
I love it this response. I'm from Indiana and work (in Kentucky) with someone from Nebraska. Beyond corn jokes, we actually have conversations about corn that others find educational and...
I love it this response. I'm from Indiana and work (in Kentucky) with someone from Nebraska. Beyond corn jokes, we actually have conversations about corn that others find educational and entertaining. I mean, it's corn
The video is about Nikita Khruschev's plan to convert many crops in USSR into hybrid corn that would serve as feed for cattle and pigs as well as feeding their population. It includes a well...
The video is about Nikita Khruschev's plan to convert many crops in USSR into hybrid corn that would serve as feed for cattle and pigs as well as feeding their population. It includes a well documented visit by Kruschev to Iowa, with a first hand report.
It's an actually interesting video. So I'm just leaving this here if anyone wishes to discusses the actual video.
I haven't watched the video yet, but as someone from the US Midwest it feels very strange to characterize other countries as obsessed with corn. Maybe the video addresses that though. I'll edit with my thoughts once I watch it.
It may interest you to know that Xi Jinping of China is also somewhat obsessed with corn (and soybeans), having visited farms in rural Iowa both before and after becoming paramount leader (though this might be more of an interest in American farming methods rather than necessarily in corn itself).
BBC: Xi Jinping's surprising ties to rural Iowa
I just think it's strange to characterize other countries as being "obsessed with" crops that we grow in absolutely absurd amounts ourselves in the US. I don't think I've ever seen a farmer's field growing anything other than corn or soybeans. Driving through the Midwest it's all you see. Would we describe this as an obsession when the US does it? Or only when scary foreign governments learn from us and do the same thing?
I don't think that the characterization is quite as malicious as you make it out to be. I think that American media depicts foreign leaders' interest in corn as 'obsessions' because it's an interest in, well, corn. It's as common a crop as it gets to us in America. But to leaders of countries with historical issues with food production, like the Soviet Union, or countries with potential future food insecurities, like China, corn is interesting as a way to solve current or future food supply issues.
To make up an analogy, if Biden started speaking about the potential of taro, and started traveling abroad to the most rural parts of Nigeria and China to speak to taro farmers, I wouldn't find it odd at all if local media described his actions as an 'obsession' with taro.
I understand your perspective but I do think that it's worth criticizing framing this as "obsession" when it comes from leaders of developing countries trying to learn from US agricultural practices but not as such when the US propagates corn monoculture to a nigh-absurd degree. I think part of it is probably just YouTube title-ism here, but I don't think it's reading too much into it to recognize some dissonance there.
I love it this response. I'm from Indiana and work (in Kentucky) with someone from Nebraska. Beyond corn jokes, we actually have conversations about corn that others find educational and entertaining. I mean, it's corn
It has the juice.
(sorry)
I will think this is adorable every time
I'm not even from a properly rural area -- I grew up in the suburbs -- but you can't escape the ever-present sea of corn lol
Yeah! I'm a city kid, but the city only goes so far.
The video is about Nikita Khruschev's plan to convert many crops in USSR into hybrid corn that would serve as feed for cattle and pigs as well as feeding their population. It includes a well documented visit by Kruschev to Iowa, with a first hand report.
It's an actually interesting video. So I'm just leaving this here if anyone wishes to discusses the actual video.