My point is that there's still large government involvement. The permits are just one example. Another one would be the military contracts that require contract

My point is that there's still large government involvement. The permits are just one example. Another one would be the military contracts that require contractor employees to maintain clearance levels and create financial dependence, or the government owned launch pads they lease. All of this combined means that SpaceX is still highly dependent from the goodwill of the US government.