Ramesh Ponnuru brings up an interesting point about ag subsidies:

When considering the claim that we need subsidies to have “food security,” we should also remember that the bulk of farm subsidies go to just five commodities—and the relatively unsubsidized sectors of the industry are doing just fine.

Ag subsidies seem especially unnecessary and extravagant when we consider that other nations with a strong agricultural background have dropped their subsidies only to see the industry reinvigorated.

Farmers don’t need subsidies, politicians need farmers to need subsidies.  All the better to control them.