My point is that all regulations are subidies / taxes, if one wants to be pedantic about it. So is a rural build requirement a subsidy? Sure, but so is a requi

My point is that all regulations are subidies / taxes, if one wants to be pedantic about it. So is a rural build requirement a subsidy? Sure, but so is a requirement not to use lead paint, or to avoid dumping toxins into waterways, or to use rights of way, or to maintain the ability for the government to tap calls. Consequently, it's disingenuous to argue against this specifically because it's a subsidy. Maybe rural access isn't a social good we want to promote, but it's not different than the massive number of other things we're paying for (vs a completely free market) in the same way.