[tejtm]

It is not as though other countries could not choose do the same.

It seem to me that China choosing to subsidize industry it is not so different than the US choosing to subsidize Roads, Autos and OIL.

In both cases it does seem to work splendidly as intended.

Other than political inertia (or economic reasons far beyond my ability to fathom) there is nothing to stop the US from following suit.

I accept "free market" is a term of art probably from before global trade reality and could be narrowly redefined to mean whatever one wants (or wanted when it was coined) but in my ignorance I see it simply as free to choose actions and responses.

But I am far far away from opinions I am qualified to hold, think I will shut up now.

[whall6]

> roads

I think even the Chicago school would agree that roads should be public

> autos

I absolutely detest US policy with respect to autos so I will not refute this

> oil

Matter of strategic importance that isn’t related to spying or subterfuge. The Nazis probably would have won WWII if they hadn’t run out of diesel. I’m not sure digital cameras come close to this.

[pastel8739]

But you could imagine a country that invested, in addition to roads, cars, and oil, in public transportation, cities that you can get around on foot, and in renewable energy. Such a country might be better off that the US is now.

[artisinal]

Not everyone wants public transport. I never use it. Don’t like being so close to other people. And it is much more expensive where I live. Four friends going for a day trip to the big city is €120+ by train and bus.

Had another look. It’s €265 just for the four train tickets alone, in the lowest class. €375 if you want to travel in comfort class. Two hour journey.

[pastel8739]

You could imagine that this wasn’t the case, right? Or you could imagine that investing in it for those people who do want it might improve your own life (e.g. by reducing traffic) not to mention society as a whole?

[artisinal]

I just look at what the most efficient form of transport is for the trip I’m taking. And the answer is never public transit.

Don’t really mind or care what other people do.

[lyu07282]

I think the overwhelming and undeniable success and prosperity of China is the biggest concern to the west, the neoliberals consistently predicted their immediate downfall that never came. Except we are all still led by the same neoliberals proven wrong about everything, the contradictions everywhere are driving us all into collective insanity. If we don't manage to purge our media and governments from these vile people the only path forward is collective decline, increased totalitarianism and our repression leading to a war with China. Wars don't always end in the right side winning, and the cold war was won by the wrong side.

[tejtm]

Thanks, not to disagree but it may be best to use plain language as I do not know what a neoliberal is to me never mind what it means to you.

I do know liberal is used as a derisive term by the people we (US) are being led by which leads me to cognitive dissonance parsing your statement.

[justinclift]

> the neoliberals consistently predicted their immediate downfall that never came.

That doesn't seem correct. Wasn't the predication that once China started to become successful they'd open up and become more democratic?

Which clearly didn't happen, as per the outright slaughter of the Chinese university students who were protesting in 1989: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Tiananmen_Square_protests...