https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/07/10/pentagon-rare-earths/
Private company now partially owned by the federal government. It won’t be long now.
Happened under TARP, too, didn't it?
Would you count govt pension plans' stock ownership?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/07/10/pentagon-rare-earths/
Private company now partially owned by the federal government. It won’t be long now.
Didn't Trump require that the US government be given an equity share in the new US Steel company?
Stuff like this is why I laugh at people who blame capitalism for everything that is wrong. We haven't had free markets for a century at least and it just keeps creeping further towards the .gov controlling everything. It's been picking winners and losers for our entire lifetimes.
Hope is not optimism, which expects things to turn out well, but something rooted in the conviction that there is good worth working for. - Seamus Heaney, Irish poet and likely Hoosier basketball fan.
POTFB
One of the things I've tried to remind our more libertarian-leaning friends is that we've had a mixed economy for over 100 years at this point. A mixed economy is the status quo in some ways.Stuff like this is why I laugh at people who blame capitalism for everything that is wrong. We haven't had free markets for a century at least and it just keeps creeping further towards the .gov controlling everything. It's been picking winners and losers for our entire lifetimes.
But I'd also say "free markets" vs. controlled ones exist on a continuum, and the U.S. still enjoys relatively free markets in the vast majority of sectors.
It goes back more that 100 years. You guys are forgetting how we got all the western railroads built.
Now that we've cracked AI this debate over socialism is meaningless, because we are destined to turn over control of the economy to the computers.
It won't be meaningless if there are a few all-powerful AIs and they are owned and controlled by a relatively small number of people.Now that we've cracked AI this debate over socialism is meaningless, because we are destined to turn over control of the economy to the computers.
It won't be meaningless if there are a few all-powerful AIs and they are owned and controlled by a relatively small number of people.Now that we've cracked AI this debate over socialism is meaningless, because we are destined to turn over control of the economy to the computers.
That's exactly the case now.
Was that more than subsidies and help? Did it include govt ownership of the railroad companies?It goes back more that 100 years. You guys are forgetting how we got all the western railroads built.
No, it's not, because we don't have any all-powerful AIs that we can turn control of our economy over to now.It won't be meaningless if there are a few all-powerful AIs and they are owned and controlled by a relatively small number of people.Now that we've cracked AI this debate over socialism is meaningless, because we are destined to turn over control of the economy to the computers.
That's exactly the case now.
One of the things I've tried to remind our more libertarian-leaning friends is that we've had a mixed economy for over 100 years at this point. A mixed economy is the status quo in some ways.Stuff like this is why I laugh at people who blame capitalism for everything that is wrong. We haven't had free markets for a century at least and it just keeps creeping further towards the .gov controlling everything. It's been picking winners and losers for our entire lifetimes.
But I'd also say "free markets" vs. controlled ones exist on a continuum, and the U.S. still enjoys relatively free markets in the vast majority of sectors.
Relative to other countries? Yes, I agree.
Relative to sustaining our way of life and status as a country where anyone can be successful? No. We're headed in the wrong direction.
That's the ham handed shortfall in MAGA. It implies there was once a time when things were perfect for everyone. That's never been the case, but it's still been better than anything out there when the criteria is opportunity for individual success and well being.
Hope is not optimism, which expects things to turn out well, but something rooted in the conviction that there is good worth working for. - Seamus Heaney, Irish poet and likely Hoosier basketball fan.
POTFB
Was that more than subsidies and help? Did it include govt ownership of the railroad companies?It goes back more that 100 years. You guys are forgetting how we got all the western railroads built.
Off topic, but one of my all time favorite reads was Nothing Like it in the World.
I see what Mark is saying, but agree it didn't lead to government ownership of the railroads. The government did exert a tremendous amount of influence upon them though. Would be an interesting conversation with a few of you over a beer and peanuts (or folgers and eggs).
Hope is not optimism, which expects things to turn out well, but something rooted in the conviction that there is good worth working for. - Seamus Heaney, Irish poet and likely Hoosier basketball fan.
POTFB
In. But need cashews or pistachios instead of peanuts.Was that more than subsidies and help? Did it include govt ownership of the railroad companies?It goes back more that 100 years. You guys are forgetting how we got all the western railroads built.
Off topic, but one of my all time favorite reads was Nothing Like it in the World.
I see what Mark is saying, but agree it didn't lead to government ownership of the railroads. The government did exert a tremendous amount of influence upon them though. Would be an interesting conversation with a few of you over a beer and peanuts (or folgers and eggs).
In. But need cashews or pistachios instead of peanuts.Was that more than subsidies and help? Did it include govt ownership of the railroad companies?It goes back more that 100 years. You guys are forgetting how we got all the western railroads built.
Off topic, but one of my all time favorite reads was Nothing Like it in the World.
I see what Mark is saying, but agree it didn't lead to government ownership of the railroads. The government did exert a tremendous amount of influence upon them though. Would be an interesting conversation with a few of you over a beer and peanuts (or folgers and eggs).