Are food stamps a good idea?

Megan McArdle doesn't think so:

"But to the extent that you think we have an obligation to help the poor with their problems, and that those problems can be fixed by giving them money to buy things, then we should give them money to buy things. Attaching strings to the money both blunts the fiscal stimulus, and degrades the dignity of adult citizens who are presumptively capable of deciding whether they would like to spend their money on a bag of apples or a pair of shoes."

But the "progressive" nanny-staters are nipping at her heals. Krugman, Yglesias, and a host of Congressmen want food stamps as a big part of our stimulus package. Personally, I don't pretend to understand their reasoning; but if Krugman is for it, generally I'm not.....