Protecting non-viable industries only hurts our nation. Subsidies cause enormous economic distortions. Consider the domestic sugar industry. The USDA protects its producers against foreign competitors by imposing U.S. import quotas, and against low prices with a no-recourse loan program that serves as a price floor. As a result, Americans have had to pay an average of TWICE THE WORLD PRICE of sugar since 1982.
Farm subsidies keep food prices high, using taxpayer dollars, which ultimately hurts the poorest Americans more than anyone.