“So, what does this author want? The GOP that claims lower taxes and lower government spending, or the GOP that micro-manages the economy by interfering in basic business decisions, like who will plant how much of what crop as they’re chasing the latest ag program?”
read again
“Apart from the subsidies, there is much to admire in his approach: His package of reforms delivered a better quality of life to millions of Americans.”
If it were not for the subsidies, the cost of food would have at least kept pace with inflation and would be about 3X the price it is today.
There is no way to say “apart from the subsidies...” and then talk about anything positive for the average American in Butz’s policies. Butz was responsible for setting a policy of huge over-production of ag commodities, which has resulted in ag commodity prices not keeping parity with inflation from 1973 to today.
You can have one or the other: ag subsidies and low prices, or free market principles and higher ag prices. Pick one.