Technology

Sadly, ever since “too big to fail”, any large corporation is now nearly indistinguishable from the federal government. Just another example of socialism for the rich, capitalism for the rest of us.

Well don’t forget that Walmart itself is literally government subsidized when the people employed there still need food stamps or other welfare programs.

Your point is? They are both shit, agreed. The fact that we have asshole corps here, doesn't mean we need more of them. We need to fight Walmart, not bring in the Walmart of cars.

State sponsored capitalism is what everyone does. The only reason Tesla even exists is because of US government support

It doesn't make ours any better or cheaper, just everything else more expensive.

it also makes your domestic products more expensive because cars etc still have to source components and industrial machines from internationally so it’s tariffs all the way down

A lot of these subsidies (both in the US and China) are implicit. Chinese state rail networks operate at cost, allowing cheap transportation of materials and labor. American borrowing is heavily subsidized through the Fed Credit Window, which keeps rates in the low single digits while corporate bonds and consumer loans can be 2x-30x as high. Both countries cut corners on environmental enforcement and subsidize waste management. Both countries subsidize education and incentive R&D through their university systems.

The real benefit BYD enjoys - even above its Chinese peers - is vertical integration. They own everything from mining interests to technology patents to dealerships. This is a deliberate consequence of Chinese trade policy, which requires foreign investors to partner with Chinese nationals in order to own and operate capital. Consequently, Berkshire Hathaway - a large early investor in BYD - cannot dictate Chinese vehicle manufacturing policy from a private office in Omaha. Chinese locals benefit from the innovation, the domestic capital, the experienced labor force (which can migrate to local competitors), and the increased economic activity it produces.

China is insourcing it's wealth aggregation, which has a cyclical compound benefit over time.

Yeah, our VP rides around in a 2-door coupe and he's very tall, while my coworker (who is shorter) drives a big SUV because "he doesn't fit in smaller cars." I'm also tall and drive a Toyota Prius, which is small.

At the end of the day, none of that's legitimate, it's just an excuse to buy the car you prefer.

Larger cars should cost more because they take up more space, wear out the roads faster, and impact the environment more.