But the ubiquity of HFCS in bottled, jarred, canned, tubbed, and boxed foods in the US cannot be explained by the sugar policy, for so many varieties of groceries didn't contain sugar in the first place. (I'm pushing 50 and have been reading food labels since childhood.)
Actually, no, it does explain the ubiquity of it. The extremely low price of HFCS is a result of government subsidies, and food manufacturers find an easy way to increase the flavor impact of their product by just loading up on sweetness instead of using more expensive other flavoring agents.
We still have only ourselves to blame though. Feeding little babies french fries, coca cola, and hamburgers is a sure way to destroy their sense of taste.