And they don't cause premature hair loss, either...

A surprising defense of farm subsidies from a normally brutal critic - the Cato Institute.

...Obama’s claim that “the continuation of a presence in Iraq as Sen. McCain has suggested is exactly what, I think, will fan the flames of anti-American sentiment and make it more difficult for us to create a long-term and sustainable peace in the world.” Now, this is so painfully obvious as to be banal, but here’s the Standard’s response:

Never mind that farm subsidies–as in the policy Obama defended vociferously while pandering to Iowans a few months back–leave the poorest people in the world starving and without jobs.

Now, farm subsidies are truly a terrible idea. But if the Standard somehow believes that we’re hated in the Islamic world because of sugar subsidies, I’ve got a bridge I’d like to sell them.

...

We could go on like this for days. Farm subsidies are dumb enough on their own, we don’t need to delude ourselves into thinking they’re what’s to blame for 9/11. In fact, if the Standard and its adherents continue with this sort of fanatacism, we’re going to continue avoiding the real root of our terrorism problem, which is evident enough that the above sources and anyone else paying attention can see it all too plainly. [More]

Look, subsidy fans need to take victories whenever and wherever they can get 'em.