Hacker News Reader

The CCP has publicly explained that their strategy is indeed to dominate key sectors via gov subsidies, de-industrialize other nations and gain strategic leverage in the process.

View on HN

Why doesn't America do that too? It seems to work really really well.

Two main reasons. It requires taking a lot of freedom / agency away from individuals, and redirecting much of the profits of successful enterprises to subsidies (and suppressing individual consumption and standard of living).

America does that for aerospace & some defense stuff. But the reason not to is that the industrial policy needed to do it like China does has the effect of reduced wages, longer work hours, and lower quality of life.

The US (and EU/UK) subsidies defense, but imo that’s different. First, it’s more understandable to want domestic arms production. Second, they are not seeking to subsidize to undercut foreign suppliers and drive them out of business.

The US is not pushing subsidized F35 fighters all over the world to drive other producers under.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com