Ethanol from corn is insane. The people who farm next to my farm are now growing dry land corn in what amounts to a desert. All it takes is lots of herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizer to make the stuff grow anywhere I guess. It bugs me as you can tell :-)
Does Ethanol Make Economic and Environmental Sense? | Americas Quarterly
American should be oppose to the current policies on ethanol regardless of it's effect on engines. Perhaps the people that don't use it have taken the high ground :-)
That said I suspect whatever it's negative effect on engines may be those effects do not reduce engine life below normal obsolescence. Since water mixes with alcohol and not gas it probably is good for the fuel system in some cases offsetting whatever negatives there may be.
I use it in everything and only think about it when I'm buying it which again causes me old man apoplexity for the reasons mentioned above.