Domino Effect

The recent floods in the Midwest are devastating to say the least. With the water levels at 31.8 ft above flood stage all throughout Iowa, many of the essential crops have been destroyed. Since the Midwest does not have a very long summer, the time to cultivate new crops of corn and soy beans has passed, resulting in far less resources to the consumer. The latest dates to plant are June 15 through 30, and sadly, Iowa will still be under water on those dates. Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you will most likely feel the effects of higher gas prices, too, because of this shortage of corn and the impact on ethanol production. Another effect of the destruction of crops will be higher food prices, just what we needed... But if you take a step back, the people hurt by this shortage can be seen near and far. People struggling to survive off a diet of grains in developing countries who can hardly afford to live now, will more than likely starve because of rising food prices here in the U.S. A blog also points out another effect of the rising prices. "Many seniors have recently found that Social Security is no longer enough to cover their food expenses." Prices have been rising the fastest in 17 years. Now that we start to see some of the consequences, the major question comes up, what should we do? Shouldn't our national government step in and help us in our crisis?  MSNBC explains that, "In an election year, a large majority of lawmakers, including many Republicans, backed the farm bill rather than stand with an unpopular president." Will our next President step in and help offset some of the effects? Why has our government not done much to relieve this situation? It all goes back to the standards and beliefs of the different parties. I feel Democrats will have more support in this upcoming election because they believe in more governmental support for national needs, which is especially urgent during this time period.