If only…

Lame. I really want a super powerful local music player. One that takes iTunes smart playlists to the next level. One that can sync to an equally powerful mobile app. There’s enough streaming, give it a rest.

https://archive.ph/8Mxy1

Well none of this (including the price) would be happening without massive government subsidies so I’m not sure here is the place to take a victory lap for capitalism due to artificially low prices designed to win market share abroad, but okay.

Honestly I do think the US should do this too. But as China is currently the only one doing it on this scale, it is vastly skewing market dynamics.

Key figures and findings regarding BYD’s government funding include:

The Kiel Institute Study (2018–2022): A widely cited study by Germany’s Kiel Institute for the World Economy estimated that BYD received approximately $3.7 billion (€3.4 billion) in direct government subsidies between 2018 and 2022.

Scaling Support: State aid to the company ramped up significantly over time. For example, out of the $3.7 billion tracked through 2022, a major share—roughly $2.2 billion—was awarded in 2022 alone.

Annual Financial Disclosures: BYD regularly lists government grants, subsidies, and R&D support in its public financial reports. For instance, annual filings have shown billions of yuan in recurring state backing channeled into specific production lines and technological innovations.

Broader Context

While the $3.7 billion figure covers tracked direct corporate aid, international trade analysts and economists point out that BYD’s total structural advantages also stem from wider government policies. These include:

Supply Chain Subsidies: Extensive state backing upstream in the EV supply chain, particularly for battery manufacturers (such as localized support for lithium processing and battery cell production).

Infrastructure and Operational Perks: Access to heavily subsidized land, cheap electricity, and localized tax incentives designed to accelerate China’s green technology and clean energy sectors.

Chinese people don’t invest in stocks because you’d have to be a fool to compete with the Chinese government as an investor. Returns are perpetually suppressed.

The Chinese government is subsidizing them to gain market share just like American tech companies do with VC funding.

Isn’t the kill switch just the power switch for the servers?

There are pretty substantial differences.I voted for Bernie so I don’t think they are so substantial as to cause a fight, but I just wish there was better education out there in the US on Social Democracy. It works in Europe and most Americans are blind to it or think Democratic Socialism is the same thing.

Because they are uninformed. And Democratic socialism is closer to communism than social democracy.

I wish there was an option for Social Democrat, because that’s what fits me. Bernie made Democratic Socialism famous but I don’t think most people who define themselves this way understand the difference.