>there might be some strong reasons why leftists in the US reject state
>planning, but there are i think some strong reasons why in the US state
>planning is regarded as _external_ to capitalism (which i think is actually
>what i said). the historical predominance of liberalism and free
>enterprise stuff in the US makes state planning look like it's something
>other than the regular operations of capitalism.
Certainly U.S. ideology is rich with laissez-faire, but actual practice has been lots different - from the canal-building, railroad subsidies, and protective tariffs of the 19th century through the Pentagon-driven industrial policies of the post-World War II years. The industries where U.S. firms are most competitive today are typically those with the longest, deepest history of state involvement - computers, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, agribusiness. We just don't talk about it much.
Doug