Obama’s Support of Brazil

President Obama was in Brazil over the weekend:

“The United States doesn’t simply recognize Brazil’s rise; we support it enthusiastically,” Obama said in Brasilia, the capital, after meeting with President Dilma Rousseff as he began a five-day trip that also will take him to Chile and El Salvador.

This is true. The taxpayer is still sending Brazilian cotton farmers millions of dollars per year because the WTO ruled in favor of Brazil when they sued the United States over our farm subsidy program. Rather than try to support Brazil by ending this (which is, admittedly, likely impossible for President Obama at this time), meaningless speeches will be given and some silly inter-bureaucratic program will potentially be set up to focus on economic development.

Obama might also support ending the tariff on Brazilian ethanol (but please don’t do that without ending the renewable fuel standard).