I remember reading about the Japanese area with the highest quality of life - it was an area where the government was the largest employer. That article went on

I remember reading about the Japanese area with the highest quality of life - it was an area where the government was the largest employer. That article went on to say that the government essentially managed fishing for the area, coordinating supply and demand, and that was the biggest industry. So the arguments that "private ownership" and "free market" are always better are simply ideological beliefs. Then there is the city in Germany which controls a bunch of public companies - starting with Zepplins. My understanding is that their wealth, jobs, and social programs are all essentially controlled by the local government using company profits (I don't know if the VW emission problems have changed that.)