Re: Consumer subsidy per car
"In which case why did the idiots of government give the money away? "
Because those sorts of policy attract votes from some voters.
Governments respond to the feedback from voters, not from what makes best sense.
Everyone knows the USA is heading towards deep financial shit (and UK is worse, and some others worse still). Everyone knows that borrowing more and leaving more debt is a bad idea. But nobody would vote to tighten their own belts.
Politicians that do the right thing don't get voted in.