So, let's assume you care about poverty in the developing world, AND you're smart enough to know that it's a better idea to enable developing countries to compete in the global market, as opposed to, say, doling out another big loan from the World Bank. Well then you probably already know the best way to do that is to get rid of agricultural tariffs and government farm subsidies.

Of course, we might have to put a few family farms out of business.

Your choice for budget deficit sanity: cuts in food stamps, or cuts to farm subsidies. Easy choice for me. Not so easy for farm state Senators.

Of course, however pigheaded we are on this issue, the French take the cake:

France has bullied its E.U. partners into trade cowardice. The result is that the Doha round, billed as an effort to boost development in the poor world as well as growth in the rich one, appears deadlocked. Does France really want the blame for entrenching poverty? Must it be so unilateralist?

Ouch!  ¶ 10:03 PM