The problem here is one I’ve noted before - we must have the will to do something about it. George Bush has no will to do anything that takes him out of his comfort zone, the Congress sees things from the Washington point of view, so they cannot be relied upon to do anything useful, so it must be undertaken by a coalition of people who can become extremely visible and vocal about what needs to be done. My ideas revolve around the desert areas of this nation, where water should be brought in, in massive quantities, made with reverse osmosis plants, to terraform these areas with additional corn, so as not to take away from that grown as food, and other varieties of plants for turning into ethanol as well.
Back when the first big oil problem occurred, in the late 70s, it was shown that shale oil (kerogen) which we (this nation) have in abundance, could be profitable to produce when gas prices approached $1.50 per gallon. That time has come and gone, and we can only conclude that the oil companies are doing their best to quash the production of it, until such time as they can effectively own the supply there - this may sound familiar, as a movie in the 80s was made starring George C. Scott and Marlon Brando, called ‘The Formula’ it laid out a similar action.
Cost effectiveness must be weighed in many terms - is it cost effective to stay on the same course we are on if the nation at large feels that their quality of life is going down the drain? Sometimes it is better to pay more, and get more in the end.

You write: “My question is why would Congress allow so many of our farmers to move their focus from feeding the hungry to making ethanol?”

First of all, this isn’t what’s causing higher food prices and home invasions. Higher food prices are being caused mostly by higher gas prices, and those prices are controlled by the fuel industry.

Secondly, and you allude to it later in your post when you mention a dependence on foreign governments, ethanol as fuel is renewable, and would REDUCE our dependence on foreign oil.

Anyway, the problem is the energy companies. When it comes to gas prices and supplies, it has always been the case. It is NOT the fault of farmers.

I would have dismissed myself as conspiracy nut 5 years ago for saying this, but nowadays it’s becoming clearer that this is just another turn of the screw in a concerted effort by the elite to destroy the middle class.

It’s about controling the population by rationing food and energy resources.
Bush’s ethano drive is the bigges scam ever. Anybody noticed a correction of the oil price since the ethanol push started? NO.
On the other hand, food prices are UP.

Once the average Joe and Jannet are fearing for their basic everyday needs, such as bread and electricity, chances are they will submiss to the will of the powers that be.

Only Middle class can make the government accountable. Grind the middle class into poverty, and the elite will have absolute power.
It’s hight time to hold this b*stards accountable…our very survival hangs in the balance now.

Like I said, if I had heard myself thinking like this a few years ago, I’d be laughing. But too much sh*t is been thrown at us at the same time, and less and less it looks like chance or misfortune. This just seems ORCHESTRATED.

Great article; relevant but…we need MORE of this type of outrage. People need to stand up for their beliefs and air their concerns or nothing will ever be accomplished. Where is the national outcry? Is everyone so accepting of the status quo that they are perfectly content to just sit back and let a few express their concerns? Of course the current government and cronies will continue to walk all over us if we let them.

I strongly doubt we will ever see oil prices drop down below the #3.00 per gal.mark. How did this happen and why? WHY are we seemingly content just to sit back and let such an outrage continue? A few voices are not enough to bring this debacle under control. Everyone who is feeling the pinch needs to voice their discontent over government run amuck. Sure, the fat cats sit back and lick their chops while we gamely plod on and assume things will get better. Not for us and certainly not for our children and perhaps not even for THEIR children, unless more voices are heard and the news media LETS those voices be heard, even in Washington.
Blood (Iraq) and oil do NOT mix and we’ve got to turn this mess around so we once more have a “government, of the people, for the people and by the people. Presently,running our country is a “government “OF the government, FOR the government and BY the government.”
Hopefully, the coming election will give us new voice but in the meantime…LET’S START YELLING!!!