The food industry is more powerful than first perceived. There is a veil between the corporations and consumer. The industrialization of food began in the 30's with "fast food" places such as McDonalds. They led the way regarding streamlining the process - it was cheap.
When the logo on the McDonalds sign says "Billions Served" it's no joke. Now think about what it takes to keep every burger tasting the same. All those ranchers are reduced to standardizing their product - because if they don't, McD's won't buy. They are the largest purchaser of growing beef, chicken, potatoes, pork, apples, tomatoes etc.
In the 70's the top 5 beef packers controlled 25% of the market. Today, the top 4 control over 85% of that market. And even if you don't eat fast food, you're eating food that is produced by the same system - the act of boycotting is a futile gest.
Tyson is the largest producer of chicken and have revolutionized the way chickens are raised. In 1950 a chicken was raised from egg to market in 70 days. Since 2008, the chickens are raised to market in 48 days AND they're twice as big thanks to animal steroids.
If you're a chicken farmer and contract with Tyson they tell you what to do and the cost to meet those expectations is yours. Sadly, few (if any) of the farmers actually benefit with increasing debt - production systems are expensive and so are the antibiotics...
Corn -
In the supermarket, there is an illusion of diversity, there are only a few crops and a very few companys involved. Many of the shelf products are just clever re-arrangements of corn. It dominates. A hundred years ago a farmer could grow 20 bushels of corn on an acre of land. Today, on the same land, 200 bushels is no problem - it's astonishing! In the U.S. 30% of the land base is is driven by government policy to produce corn below the cost of production, for the sake of multinational interests. The corporations want it cheap and pack the political clout to get it.
High fructose corn syrup and by-products are in most everything including things (like batteries) you wouldn't expect. Maltodextrin, Xanthan gum, Di-Glycerides and so forth (enter big pharma also). It's also produced to feed live stock, but no one questions the natural diet of most livestock including farmed fish....? We're teaching fish to eat corn - all to drive down the cost of meat production. Cows eat grass, not corn.
And now, prices at the store are upside down in favor of every unhealthy thing they sell. Fresh vegetables are not cheap. Neither is fruit. Why am I paying $1.50 for a bartlet pear?
America has a "fat" problem, because obesity is directly linked to income level - the chips and sodas are cheaper. The idea that "organics" is the way to go is just a joke. People are kidding themselves OR they are very privileged to afford "health" food. It's an expensive racket and studies on the subject really don't show better results.
The small farmer and rancher are bullied out of business - not by the corporations - but by government regulatory agencies (like the FDA) are staffed by members of...you guessed it...the corporation giants. So, it doesn't matter how polluted industrially manufactured food is - the cleaner version made by the small farmer/rancher will never see the shelf (or if it does) for an affordable price.
A corporate group of people who sees a pig as an inanimate pile of protoplasmic cells to be manipulated by creative science isn't going to regard the human race any differently.
Corporations love illegal immigration labor because it's a workforce they can manipulate easily - just keep them under the fear of deportation and prison - it's that simple. Adding it all up, cheap food is very expensive at every corner of related issues.
At the turn of the 20th century a farmer could feed 6 to 8 people - it's up to about 120 people (per acre).
Seeds....
Farmers used to save their best seeds when forecasting the planting of next years crop. It wasn't until the 80's when the Supreme Court said you could Patent life.
If you have one religious bone in your body, you should consider the audacity of that. But, it was a band wagon that the corporate giants jumped on. Monsanto was originally a chemical company producing DDT, agent orange and "Round Up" a weed killer. They were responsable for Patenting soybeans that resisted their weed killer. Big industry buys from big industry - and the little guy is stuck doing what he is told or he is *****raped in a Federal Court by the corporate molesters.
In 1996 only 2% of soybeans in the U.S. contained Monsanto's Patented seed. By 2008 Monsanto controlled 90% of the soybean marked with their Patented seed. Now, they dominate the Asian markets.

It's not just the U.S. Robbie - it's a world system and yes (like you said) it is demonic.
Of course, the "Matrix" is a good movie to reference. A majority of people have a "sense" of what the system is but their daily lives and dreams really prevent them from waking up. Perhaps it's because they get the idea that it's worse than they could realize.
Like Morphious said; you can't be told what the Matrix is, you have to see it for yourself.
And people would just rather not.

https://youtu.be/zI5hrcwU7Dk

https://youtu.be/vQAzpV7GC0U

https://youtu.be/NcpWk2WKhEM

Well...it was in the mid 70's under the Carter administration that led a full-on campaign to consolidate and regulate natural lands and national parks.
What you're experiencing today is actually a result of the environmentalist movement. They don't want you there, damaging nature and breathing the air, crapping in the woods, whizzing in the streams.
It's illegal to be free. The woodland aren't a home for the homeless...but then neither are the breezeways on city sidewalks and alleyways.
America was originally founded to be a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy. But, politicians along the way brainwashed the "moral majority" and the very definition of "Liberty" mutated into liberalism.
There are no nations, there are no peoples - there is only Dow, Union Carbide' Exxon, Walmart, Apple, Google and ADM... These ARE the nations of the world...a college of corporations that operates under the ever increasing by-laws of business....
The world is a business, Mr. Beale.

Just an American, looking around and passing through.

This one's yours Eddieee
https://web.archive.org/web/20100715231425/http...

This one's yours Doc -
https://web.archive.org/web/20101123065730/http...

Stick to your guns.
The fact you were working to pay for college needs no explanation and the fact your ex did nothing for you is proof that you're sailing your own ship.
Once you become established in your field, things will become more stable for you and that is the time you should act. I encourage anyone who wants to own their own home to do so.
The difference between making a house payment and paying rent isn't much different - and often times, making a house payment is cheaper. Rent is a good way to throw your money away.
I think there's two things you should look at; don't just consider buying your parents house because it's convienant - look to buy a home that you can pay off before you get old - that's the trick.
No one owns anything until it's paid off. Secondly, think of what it would be like to live in a home that is paid off.
If you think the money you make now is good, give yourself ten years - it'll get better. Now imagine THAT income while living debt free in a house that you've paid for.
So, consider what you can manage for both the short term and long term. It may be convienant to buy your parents house but it may also be significantly more expensive. Consider something cheaper and owner financed. Shave the years of debt if you can - try not to add to them.
Good luck.

***Xxx

Do you remember anything about a little tree monkey dressed in a lobby uniform with cymbals jumping up and down on a tambourine, periodically jumping onto your back, clashing the cymbals and somersaulting back onto the tambourine, making shrieking sounds?
Anything at all?
Because that was happening to me in my last dishwashing dream and my feet were shackled to the floor and my hands were chained, with just enough slack to keep washing. And the dishes just kept piling up and heaping over and the little monkey just kept doing is number, over and over....
Did I mention that I once worked at a restaurant washing dishes? My boss was a little a$$#o!e who liked to play tambourine.

That's a fact.

I'm sorry, Doc; a big bro hug for you all the same.

On the level, as I get older I suddenly become more aware of how these agents are synthesized. I'm not a fan of the big pharma industry or insurance racket that pushes these genetic modifiers (and that's what they are).

https://youtu.be/U-IBc8FPuUk