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By Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block.
We just celebrated another Thanksgiving. At least, I hope we celebrated it. I know these are chaotic times. The worst problem is that the coronavirus has us isolated and shut down. Also, it may not be on your mind right now but if our Congress doesn’t agree on a spending plan and budget for the fiscal year, we will shut down. We have until December 11th to get something done. If that is not enough, it appears that a new President will be taking charge on January 20th. We are yet to see what that might mean. Certainly, getting and distributing the new virus vaccine will be a challenge. Yes – just think about the level of uncertainty in the US and the other countries in the world. We have a lot on our platter.
Ok – back to Thanksgiving. We had turkey on our platter. And as delicious as it was, it was not expensive. According to the American Farm Bureau a dinner for 10 cost $48.91. For 10 people that is the lowest cost since 2010. That includes Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, rolls and butter, peas, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. That makes me hungry just to think about it. We won’t be having big parties and big crowds this year because of the virus. But we still have a lot to be thankful for. It is a great gift to live here in “the land of the free and home of the brave.”
Think about the world for a moment. We have to be thankful that we don’t live in the misery that unfortunate others cannot escape. Look at the hunger in so many African countries. Think about the thousands that have been displaced and have no home in the Middle East. Fortunately, we are not in a big war like I remember as a little boy. Our young men were fighting and dying in Europe and Japan. My mother’s cousin was killed in that war.
As difficult as life may be for some here in the US, people from all over the world want to come here. This is the land of opportunity. Even with the challenges that we face – remember what Ronald Reagan said, “It’s morning in America.”
Ok – back to Thanksgiving. We had turkey on our platter. And as delicious as it was, it was not expensive. According to the American Farm Bureau a dinner for 10 cost $48.91. For 10 people that is the lowest cost since 2010. That includes Turkey, stuffing, potatoes, rolls and butter, peas, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. That makes me hungry just to think about it. We won’t be having big parties and big crowds this year because of the virus. But we still have a lot to be thankful for. It is a great gift to live here in “the land of the free and home of the brave.”
Think about the world for a moment. We have to be thankful that we don’t live in the misery that unfortunate others cannot escape. Look at the hunger in so many African countries. Think about the thousands that have been displaced and have no home in the Middle East. Fortunately, we are not in a big war like I remember as a little boy. Our young men were fighting and dying in Europe and Japan. My mother’s cousin was killed in that war.
As difficult as life may be for some here in the US, people from all over the world want to come here. This is the land of opportunity. Even with the challenges that we face – remember what Ronald Reagan said, “It’s morning in America.”
John Block served as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1981-1985, where he played a key role in the development of the 1985 Farm Bill. John hosts a weekly radio show going back more than 20 years. The commentary and opinions shared are a summary of the discussion from the broadcast and not a reflection of the opinions of the firm at large. For more from John Block Reports from Washington visit www.johnblockreports.com.
