America’s baby formula crisis is well documented. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the failure of the free market but rather of misguided government policies that has created this situation. Now these problems could be exacerbated thanks to the geopolitical events taking place in Ukraine.
One of the key ingredients that baby formula manufacturers use — sunflower-seed oil — largely comes from Ukraine. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Ukraine is the top exporter of sunflower-seed oil. The Wall Street Journal reported that Russia is the second biggest export of sunflower oil.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the inflow of this oil from Ukraine has drastically decreased.
As long as the Russo-Ukrainian War rages on, this aspect of the baby formula crisis will not go away. This situation will only worsen if the US continues trying to foment a proxy war against Russia. Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is a member of Congress who actually grasps the gravity of this situation.
She tweeted on May 28, 2022, “More unintended consequences that hurt Americans from US Congress intervention.
Imagine if we had only encouraged peace instead of funded war.”
More unintended consequences that hurt Americans from US Congress intervention.
Imagine if we had only encouraged peace instead of funded war. https://t.co/QZMmvof5yj
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) May 28, 2022
Indeed, America’s imperial projects — be they direct or indirect – are beginning to generate large forms of economic blowback. This is the inevitability of imperial overreach. Such a fate could have been avoided if the US’s political class exercised some degree of restraint.
Unfortunately, the US’s political elites are still living in neocon/neoliberal La La Land.
America desperately needs a retrenchment in its foreign policy moves. Not doing so will result in continued financial bleeding, more troops being put in harm’s way, and disruptions in global supply chains that lower the average American’s living standards.
There are no free lunches when it comes to empire building, and when the bill comes due, Americans will be in for a rude awakening.
