this post was submitted on 21 Apr 2025
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Leopards Ate My Face

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[–] Nemean_lion@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 days ago

Fuck em. They voted for this. Or are now complacent in it.

[–] opus86@lemmy.today 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Trump did that the first time. How could you not think, after him campaigning on tariffs, that he wouldn't do it again? This is just your own fault for voting for him...again.

[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

You know how they overproduced purple hearts in anticipation of an invasion of mainland Japan that never happened? Imagine if that happened and yet they still fell short on numbers, except instead of casualties of war it's idiots getting fucked by Trump and instead of purple hearts it's "fell for it again" awards. That's where we're at.

[–] libra00@lemmy.world 73 points 4 days ago

Ehh.. I have little sympathy for these farmers who switched from growing food crops (thus contributing to the rise in food prices) to generally very water-intensive cash crops for export and kept getting subsidies meant to ensure a ready supply of food for the populace. This situation was plenty fucked long before Trump put his dick in it, it should not be surprising that he'd make it worse.

[–] BigMikeInAustin@lemmy.world 100 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (4 children)

Wouldn't this be a good thing for the fresh water supply in the US if the US stopped exporting alfalfa.

Sure, I didn't read this article, so I'm just going off all the previous years of articles about how much fresh water this is using. And I've never researched the downstream effects of cattle in the middle east becoming more expensive.

[–] TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 95 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (11 children)

Answer:

  • The water-intensive farming is absolutely fucking the ecology of the American southwest in a way that's effectively irreversible on human timescales.
  • The money being generated by this farming is going to a select few completely undeserving, morally bankrupt people who know the damage they're doing and are hoarding swathes of land and water rights they were given for effectively nothing generations ago.
  • This alfalfa is then shipped internationally to Saudi Arabia literally halfway across the world, generating greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of pollution.
  • This alfalfa is then used to grow cattle, meaning that value is being extracted from the US – at a meager cost compared to the externalities we bear – and given to the theocratic shithole whose entire economy is based on destroying the planet that is Saudi Arabia.
  • Edit: the cows produce a bunch of methane over their lifetime.
  • The cows are then brutally murdered for food despite extensive evidence that cows can feel pain and do feel emotions like fear.
  • This cow meat is then fed to people despite the fact that 1) red meat is a class 2a carcinogen (and frankly in light of evidence that vegetarian and vegan diets reduce risks of certain cancers by double-digit percentages, we're all just waiting until it's confirmed rather than heavily suspected as a carcinogen), 2) it substantially increases the risk of heart disease, and 3) it elevates the risk for diabetes when compared to plant-based foods which are cheaper and less resource-intensive to create.

It's a benefit to essentially everyone if alfalfa farming becomes less profitable. The entire chain from water to cow meat is unjust, cruel, and otherwise fucking terrible.

[–] deeferg@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

Just wanted to say I've had you marked with notes before as someone really good with your research, but each time I see your longer answers I make sure to take the time to read it. Really appreciate the knowledge transfer on a lot of your posts, please don't stop!

[–] BigMikeInAustin@lemmy.world 31 points 4 days ago

Good answer. (Not sarcasm)

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[–] Jaysyn@lemmy.world 21 points 3 days ago

That's the point. Trump wants you hopeless so you'll sell your land to his billionaire buddies.

[–] NutWrench@lemmy.ml 53 points 4 days ago

Schulz says he voted for President Donald Trump and believes in the goals of his tariff plan, to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and expand exporter access to foreign markets.

That's a shame. ANYWAY . . .

Unintended consequence of sl helping the environment and water table while leopards eat some faces.

[–] SpicyLizards@reddthat.com 59 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Super water users now angry their right wing fuckers no longer care specifically about them

[–] HasturInYellow@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago

Yeah I'm honestly counting this as an absolute win for the planet.

[–] MehBlah@lemmy.world 35 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Make sure to keep voting for the GOP farmer bob.

[–] barneypiccolo@lemm.ee 8 points 4 days ago (1 children)

He will, because HitlerPig will bail him out.

[–] Killer57@lemmy.ca 10 points 4 days ago (3 children)

I honestly don't think they will get help this time. JD Vance is invested in AcreTrader and what's a better way to buy thousand's of acres for pennies on the dollar than to bankrupt farmers? And at the end of the day, I really don't think they deserve a bailout.

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[–] TRock@feddit.dk 53 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (3 children)

How nice, alfalfa should not be farmed especially at this scale

[–] Barley_Man@sopuli.xyz 38 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Alfalfa is a great crop. It has deep roots which store carbon in the soil, it is drought tolerant, it's high yielding and it's nitrogen fixating meaning it improves the soil quality and does not require nitrogen fertilizer which normally is a huge carbon footprint. Overall fantastic crop if you need fodder for ruminant animals. The big problem is farming it on an absurd scale in the middle of the damn desert. Alfalfa does not require irrigation in regions with ample rainfall.

[–] libra00@lemmy.world 12 points 4 days ago (2 children)

How can alfalfa, which is known to be among of the most water-intensive crops be drought-resistant?

[–] Saleh@feddit.org 18 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Drought resistance refers to whether the plant can survive droughts. it does not necessarily refer to the plants yielding well under drought. However if the plant is still yielding, it could even become more profitable as other plants stop yielding. The deep roots of the plant help it under drought, as the Soil drys top to bottom. Plants that have deeper roots maintain access to water, while the top is already dried out.

To try a poor metaphor: Someone who is 2m tall but short-sighted will still see better in a crowd than someone who is 1.60m but has the best eyes in the world.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/managing_alfalfa_during_drought

[–] libra00@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago

Ah, so even if it needs a lot of water to produce maximum yield it can still survive in diminished form with less water than most plants? Interesting. TIL.

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[–] Evotech@lemmy.world 30 points 4 days ago

Yeah, as far as I’m concerned, exporting alfalfa is just exporting water

[–] invertedspear@lemm.ee 13 points 4 days ago

And not at all in the middle of the Sonoran desert, in and around a city of 5 million people, where water is a limited resource.

Phoenix has plenty of water to suit the population if it’s used wisely. Alfalfa is not a wise use of water.

[–] PorradaVFR@lemmy.world 44 points 4 days ago (4 children)

“In the long run…” so he's still onboard. Let him ride the failure train to financial ruin. Maybe then he'll learn.

[–] fyzzlefry@retrolemmy.com 22 points 4 days ago

I don't think I care if he learns

[–] jpreston2005@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

he'll learn

Think I found your problem right there

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[–] bradorsomething@ttrpg.network 13 points 3 days ago

Have the day you voted for.

[–] superniceperson@sh.itjust.works 11 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Good. Alfalfa is right up there with almonds as one of the most wasteful crops in existence.

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[–] TheBat@lemmy.world 26 points 4 days ago (2 children)
[–] cyrano@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] FrowingFostek@lemmy.world 21 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Alfalfa-> alphaalpha-> sigmasigma

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[–] selkiesidhe@lemm.ee 8 points 3 days ago

Because this time, the Con in charge will surely help you out. Surely this time. Surely.

Put on your clown noses, you dipshits. You will keep voting for them despite their obvious track record for being BAD FOR THE FUCKING ECONOMY.

[–] GuyFawkes@midwest.social 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

No aid to those MAGAts without severe concessions on their part!

[–] InvertedParallax@lemm.ee 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

They should concede to use less oxygen from now on, at least 99% less.

Truly Make America Great Again.

[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Good thing Trump saved you from all the awful foreigners dragging America down tho right?

[–] Chivera@lemmy.world 15 points 4 days ago

Oh no! Not the Trump supporting farmers!

[–] uberdroog@lemmy.world 9 points 4 days ago (3 children)

If I recall, moat of it went to Saudi Arabia?

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