Debunking Jim Rogers on farming

Jim Rogers has been speaking a lot about farming being the profession of the future. Now, I love his insights and I regard him as one of the best and most honest investors, as I have already said, but reading that a farmer will become as rich as a banker is something ridiculous. Nobody in the history of the world has become rich harvesting. Ever. Per Zerohedge:

His advice, and perhaps Maria should look into it given their ratings recently, is to become a farmer; own farmland; and speculate on agriculture. On the dismal 'ethical' state of our leaders and management, the thoughtful Rogers opines, "You can read world history for decades. There are always people doing things wrong. We have not changed our human nature and we will continue to have scandals and problems" and in a follow-up to CNBC's standard 'money-on-the-sidelines' argument he crushes the money-honey's dreams: "Finance had a great 30 years. That's finished. Now to advance, we have too many people, too many MBAs, too much leverage and too many governments that don't like us". A must-see rebuttal to the 'normal' CNBC hopium with more on China's slowdown, a US recession, Europe and a Greek exit, QE3, and 'tractors'.

Let's analyze this. If the world is to become more rural, then about three in four of the population are expendable. Maybe that is supported by the statement in red. In the absence of banks, credit and monetary base expansion, life as we know it has no meaning anymore. Let's assume that you follow his advice and you survive the holocaust that a reduced banking sector means for the world. Becoming a farmer implies spending your time caring about your farmland. This means that you are open to intruders and armies. What happened at the end of the Roman Empire? People gathered around some strong authority: the count. He, and other nobles and rich men, bankers among them, were large landowners, never farmers themselves. This is what always happens. There will always be legions of poorer people than you that are willing to take a farming job for little money, just go to any farm. If you become a farm owner and get some hold of the laws governing your area, then you will fill the role of count. Otherwise, the one who has a better hold of the sword will take your farm and impose his law.