Litmus, Part III

For background information, see Part I & Part II.

An international agreement concerning the elimination of farm export subsidies occurred about two weeks ago. The subsidies will be phased out by 2013. As reported in Part II, cotton will be the test case. Subsidies are especially relevant to American cotton farmers and could become a difficult issue for the ruling government. Could the reduction of subsidies revert the southern GOP bastion into an anti-free trade, Democrat haven? If economic hardship results, it is possible. This is a seminal moment for free trade and its supporters...