Climbing out of our SM Hole

When I speak of “SM”, I mean Supply Management, not sadomasochism, but I fully understand how people readily confuse these two subjects, as they are so similar.

When someone has dug themselves in a hole, there are 4 simple rules for escaping from their self-created prison:

1.       Stop digging any deeper

2.       Climb out of your hole

3.       Fill in the hole

4.       Find a method to keep yourself out of all future holes.

I therefore wish to define these steps for how we can escape from our SM tomb.  We need to get out of our SM frying pan, without falling into the fires of hell.

I’m not totally happy with my proposed solution as of yet.  I need help to point out the potential problems in what I’m proposing.  That’s where you come in.  Twenty experienced people poking at the obvious holes in my rough plan would be more effective than a thousand office-bound bureaucrats drafting regulations.

Principles for SM's Replacement/Removal/Solution

1.       Protect the public and the current industry from shortages, excess production, excess investment, obsolescence, shocks, chaos, and wild swings in risk, production, quality, price, and all similar measurements; thereby ensuring a smooth transition to the new reality.

2.       Protect as much as possible the investments already made in infrastructure (eg. farms, barns, equipment, office bureaucracies, policies, procedures, training manuals, etc.) so that they continue to be useful and effective for current owners & users, and all future owners & users.

3.       Develop measurements, then measure and communicate them in a honest, accurate, unbiased, objective, useful, and timely manner.  This enables us to minimize the risk, judge our progress, verify the capabilities and stability of the system, show the costs and benefits of the changes made, and encourage us towards our better, future system.

4.       While respecting the first three principles, and continuously maintaining flexibility on how best to achieve the long term goal, continue to drive the transformation forward in spite of short-term frustration, fears, finances, and friends in high places.  Stay the course, or find a better course to our better future.

If we are all in agreement on these needs and principles, then I’m ready to share with you the small seed of an idea that I think will help us transition into a brave new world, leaving behind our Sado-Masochistic Supply Management system behind, henceforth to be referred to in all history books as SM-SM or (SM)².

If the above principles are ambiguous or lacking in any way, please give me your ideas so that I can improve them.  If my ideas are weak or incomplete, you can help make them stronger and better.  If they are dangerous or unworkable, then the sooner we discover this, the better.  Bad ideas need to be identified as such, so that they can be removed from further consideration, and make way for better ideas.

If you agree, please say so.  If you disagree, please pose a better idea.  I need your help.