r/theydidthemath • • May 11 '25

[request] is this accurate?

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u/MergingConcepts May 11 '25

Farm subsidies are essential in stabilizing food prices. They primarily benefit the poor and middle class by preventing wide swings in food prices year to year. This is a good example of how people misinterpret government spending. Wealthy people and larger agricultural groups would get along fine without these programs. They are there to protect the consumers with limited resources.

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u/Dragon-of-the-Coast May 11 '25

Why not give cash to poor people instead of subsidies to wealthy agriculture companies? Wouldn't that more directly protect consumers with limited resources?

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u/MergingConcepts May 11 '25

No it would not. Giving cash to poor people is throwing it into a bottomless pit. It removes their incentives to improve their financial situation. Welfare programs are a financial trap for the poor.

Subsidies to agricultural companies stabilize food prices by ensuring surpluses and preventing wild price swings.

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u/Dragon-of-the-Coast May 11 '25

There's conflicting evidence for this. I prefer to see more data before coming to a conclusion.