There are a few other notable sets of subsidies:
- Irrigation water in the US is artificially cheap for farmers
- The US offers several Export Credit Guarantee programs (the WTO has specifically found to be illegal internationally): https://www.fas.usda.gov/programs/export-credit-guarantee-pr...
- There are amply funded Conservation programs - which can often involve payments to do nothing with certain pieces of land: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/conservation-...
- And bigger than anything, over half of all direct payments to farms are from Commodity programs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodity_programs https://farm.ewg.org/region.php
As you can see in your second link, the direct payments ended under Obama. All of the remaining programs for commodity producers are insurance-based.
Perhaps what you are trying to say is that there are time travellers coming to us from the past to tell us about how things used to be (from our perspective)? But why would anyone listen to them?
And it does seem the government continues to give direct payments to farmers - even though it is under the guise of the insurance program: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/news-room/news-releases/2021/usda-p...
I would also not call the price protection programs an insurance program. Being able to sell at a certain price seems like a pretty strong and direct subsidy.
And the export credit, which is not overseen by the USDA at all, continues.
And when you look the breakdown you'll see when direct payments ended. Insurance is going to pay out, yes. That's what insurance is for...
> I would also not call the price protection programs an insurance program.
I would. It is setup as an insurance system. Price/income insurance isn't uncommon, even outside of agriculture. If you work as an employee, you are afforded access to similar insurance.
Most of farm subsidies that people talk about goes towards food stamp-type programs. Not wanting the poor to starve may be a good reason.
And when people talk about product subsidies (like corn subsidies) they are referring to the insurance system operated by the government. Due to the nature of what is being insured (i.e. something that is likely to affect most policy holders when disaster strikes), it is difficult for private business to provide the necessary insurance.
Traditional insurance products rely on only a few policy holders needing insurance each year. When mass disaster strikes, such as a hurricane destroying homes across a wide area, the government typically does step in to cover the difference. Since this is the norm for agriculture, the government stays at the ready. Farmers still have to maintain a paid policy to be participants in the insurance system.
Perhaps insurance should be abandoned, but it's generally considered a social good.