High Food Prices, America’s Aid for Ukraine, There’s a Connection

By Norman Franklin

Norman Franklin

The Biden administration’s policies are not the cause of high food prices, neither did the policies of Former President Trump’s administration.

Distraction politics keep the Democrats and Republicans pointing the blame finger at one another. It’s a diversionary tactic. Under the noise of misinformation, far right conservatives advocate for policies that will push food prices higher. We are a global economy. What happens in the Middle East, what happens in Asia, what happens in Africa, and what happens in Europe ripples through our economy. We feel the pinch at the gas pump and at the grocery.

When someone tosses a pebble into the lake, the waves ripple outward from the splash point. The disrupted waters don’t blame their new realities on the ripples. It is a natural reaction to the intrusion of the pebble. The blame lies with the one who tossed the pebble into the water.

Russian aggression against Ukraine began in 2014. The economic impact remained local. The large-scale invasion in 2022 changed the global economic landscape. Ukraine is a major exporter of grain, sunflower oil and fertilizers. The war disrupted exports; broken supply chains have global impact.

A Ukraine defeat could trigger global food shortages, and a particularly strenuous shortage for Middle East countries, Africa, and Asia. Russia would control 30 percent of wheat export, 30 percent of grain exports – barley and corn, and 73 percent of sunflower oil exports.

Not an ideal situation for the global economy.

America is not exempt from the global ripples; higher food prices are inevitable. The middle class and the working poor bear the brunt of checkout counter budget busting food cost.

We elect politicians to look out for our interest. We expect them to be intelligent, informed, not only of national concerns, but wise to the interconnectedness of global events on their constituents.

That doesn’t appear to be the understanding of a small camp of conservative Republicans. They advocate cutting aid to Ukraine. America’s support has been a critical resource to Ukraine’s three-year resistance against the Russian invasion.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul argues that the U.S. should focus on domestic issues rather than spending billions overseas. Rep. Matt Gaetz, Fla., frames his argument as misuse of taxpayer dollars.

Extremist Rep. Marjorie Greene, Ga., argues that aid for Ukraine distracts from solving domestic problems such as crime, inflation and infrastructure. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, advocates for a nationalist foreign policy. European nations should handle European security.

Fmr. President Trump argues for his “America First” platform. He continues to shape the policies and misdirection of the Republican party.

But if their common concern is domestic issues, inflation, high food prices, and America first, it would seem to be prudent policy to take measures that mitigate the impact of Russia’s incursion into Ukraine, it’s impact on global food shortages, and the ripple effect of high food prices in America.

That is a high priority domestic issue for middle class Americans and the working poor. We don’t want to invite Russia to our dinner table.