ah you put free trade in quotes because of the Bush policy of reduced trade barriers + higher subsidies (they threw out most of the 1996 farm bill)
You wrote:
“Lower the prices of some exotics, sure, but lower prices on staples like wheat, corn, beef, beans/bean meal, rice, milk, etc?”
Don’t forget Canada and NAFTA. The mid 90’s were pretty good.
No, I put “free trade” in quotes because it depends on your perspective just how “free” the trade is.
When you’re not subsidizing your ag output and you agree to open your borders to US government-subsidized ag, it doesn’t seem like very “free” trade. It looks more like US government hegemony via food prices.
Canada and NAFTA — oh, you mean the source of BSE in the US beef herd, and the reason for the US rancher/farmer having to put up with USDA regulations that allow them to track a cut of meat down to an individual farm? That “free trade”? Oh yea, that’s wildly popular with US ag producers.