Lawyers versus Economists: Round 1: Economists

See Dani Rodrik's interesting, and a bit angry, post about Bob Zoellick's views regarding the relationship between food prices and agricultural trade liberalization.  The problem is that food prices are too high.  Zoellick's prescription:  end rich country agricultural subsidies, and open rich country markets. Rodrik points out that this is like bleeding people to cure anemia:  prices are expected to rise upon liberalization.   Effects on poverty depend on whether the poor country is a net food importer or exporter, etc.