tom
Yes, you did indeed!
I gave you a specific example of where US government abdicated responsibility for an national industrial policy to the private sector. Its outcome was the outsourcing of an entire industry to the far east. And I offered this as an example for why the subsidization of the US electric car might make sense.
I didn't offer government intervention in the economy as a blanket solution, which is what you imply or misinterpret my words ...
Critical thinking requires the ability to differentiate between specificity and generalizations.
It also requires the ability to understand that conditions that repeat themselves in industrial development cycles can indicate what will happen in the next decade or 20 years... That's why the comparison between the loss of the display industry and the need to compete with other governments within the electric car sector is important. Fate could well be right, though that would be a departure from form, and the electric car might never become a major product segment.
In that case, every government that is involved in their electric car sectors (about 12) will be wrong and suffer.
If on the other hand Fate is wrong, and in 20 years the electric car is an accepted and thriving segment of the transportation sector, every government that is currently involved will have helped ensure that their economies are benefiting from participation in manufacturing.
If on the other hand, the US followed the ideological bent of "free market" and refused to compete with other governments and the sector prevailed .... it would be another case of losing an industry sector. All due to ideological blinders.....
Its all well and good to depend on the wisdom of the markets .... but if you believe that the global markets are not influenced by competitive government intervention... then you are uninformed.
Cleaving to the non-interventionist policy when your competitors are intervening is like bringing a knife to a gun fight. And leaving the future of your countries industrial sector to the vagaries of international corporations machinations over profit enhancement will continue to see a hollowing out of the economy.
Buts that's situational. As I agree with Ray, that ongoing subsidies in things like US agricultural are outmoded, out dated and a poor use of tax dollars- its obvious I don't think Government is the answer.... I think it has a role sometimes.