Very strange, this has been configurable in System Preferences > General (currently "Use LCD font smoothing when available", previously there were more choices) for ages.
Yes I remember back in Leopard it wasn't just a checkbox, but a drop down menu allowing you turn it off completely or choose "Light", "Medium" or "Strong." I've always found the Strong setting the best for me and have kept it ever since. (There's a `defaults write` command to set this value still, but the effect is a lot less noticeable on Retina.)
