Boeing Loses Tanker Contract

[ronaldo]

http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_022908WAB_tanker_local_reaction_TP.cefbf89.html

What a great thing for the economy. This contract could have created as many as 40,000 jobs.

Now this plane will be assembled in Alabama at a factory that doesn't even exist.
So now our tax money will got to a French airplane manufacturer.

Just does not make sense to me.:no:

Even the U.S. Government (Pentagon) does not support U.S. workers.

[@_@ Artman]

http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_022908WAB_tanker_local_reaction_TP.cefbf89.html

What a great thing for the economy. This contract could have created as many as 40,000 jobs.

Now this plane will be assembled in Alabama at a factory that doesn't even exist.
So now our tax money will got to a French airplane manufacturer.

Just does not make sense to me.:no:

Even the U.S. Government (Pentagon) does not support U.S. workers.

You might want to look into mojo2's post (http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=84923) on this with his theory on why.

And mine too. :smokey:

[Fellowship]

I have nothing against Europe or France etc.

That said I am not surprised that once again the people of the US have been sold down the river by our overlords.

Americans need to wake up.

Fellows

[mydo]

Thar ought to be a law dagnabit!:rolleyes:

Other countries buy our military crap why shouldn't we buy theirs?

[audiopollution]

I have nothing against Europe or France etc.

That said I am not surprised that once again the people of the US have been sold down the river by our overlords.

Americans need to wake up.

Fellows

Boeing are the ones who sold you down the river by not offering a superior product.

What exactly do Americans have to wake up to? A technology sector that can't compete?

As Mydo said, everything's well and good when other countries are buying US goods, right?

[Bancho]

Sikorsky arrogantly thought they were a shoe-in for the next generation Presidential helicopter because "they've always been the ones to build it". They lost the contract and the new one will be a version of the EH101 built by Agusta Westland. Now Boeing loses the tanker contract to the same arrogance. If the product chosen is superior, why would we demand they take the inferior one? Is it just to make people feel good? On the bright side, the aircraft will still be built in the US.

[dmz]

Guys, I own BA and if I had a nickel for every contract they've won in the last few years -- anyway, they're getting their fair share. Don't forget too, that they are into a lot more than just airplanes.

I just assumed that the DoD was throwing Northrop and EADS a bone (albeit for good reasons.)

That said, they lost the JSF to LM -- and don't have enough of their crap in one sock on the 787 to even roll out a plane or two to start test flights. If they can pull the 787 off as promised (fuselage doesn't shatter in drop tests, etc.) they will be pigs in slop.

[mydo]

I wanna fly the 787. If only because it has high cabin pressure and more humidity.

[ronaldo]

I have nothing against Europe or France etc.

That said I am not surprised that once again the people of the US have been sold down the river by our overlords.

Americans need to wake up.

Fellows

We will continue being sold down the road until there is nothing left to sell.

[tonton]

Jesus. Are you actually arguing that Boeing should have won the contract because they are American, and not because they have a better product?

[ronaldo]

Jesus. Are you actually arguing that Boeing should have won the contract because they are American, and not because they have a better product?

Right now it is a paper airplane that will be assembled in Alabama at a factory that does not even exist yet. I'm not sure if there is even a prototype yet. So how do we know that it's a better product?

http://www.mbtmag.com/articleXml/LN754491203.html

[mydo]

Right now it is a paper airplane that will be assembled in Alabama at a factory that does not even exist yet. I'm not sure if there is even a prototype yet. So how do we know that it's a better product?

http://www.mbtmag.com/articleXml/LN754491203.html

OMG he said "outsourcing" I'm against that I think! Right?

[Gon]

The only way to win in the protectionism game is to refuse to play.

If someone is stupid enough to subsidize industry and the industry exports more as a result, that means their taxpayers are handing out free stuff abroad. It's those taxpayers if anybody who should be upset. Not the ones who are receiving the subsidy.

Suppose a 50% of Country 1's production is food, and that all goes in their own consumption. The other 50% is raw lumber, which Country 1 exports. It does not import anything, which means Country 1 continually builds up wealth in the shape of ownings everywhere it exports to.

Now the folks next door in Country 2 get a crackpot notion that the amount of their exports defines their wealth. For maximum export stimulus, they decide to allow export of food, and subsidize it at 100% for export to boot.

The protectionist would in this situation "protect" Country 1's domestic food industry by enacting trade barriers. Things would stay the same, assuming Country 2 doesn't get pissed off and put up their own barriers against Country 1's lumber in return. A free marketeer, however, will gladly accept the free food. The 50% of the people that produced food in Country 1 are freed to create goods for consumption, capital goods and goods for export. Country 1 becomes wealthier, more productive and competetive. The standard of living rises.Right now it is a paper airplane that will be assembled in Alabama at a factory that does not even exist yet. I'm not sure if there is even a prototype yet. So how do we know that it's a better product?... apart from consulting a great number of avionics, logistics, construction, operational research and strategy experts, like the Air Force does, and making an informed estimate?

Was your question serious? :err:

[ronaldo]

Was your question serious? :err:[/QUOTE]

Yes my question was serious. Our economy is in trouble, but the government doesn't care about the working people of this country. Apparently many of you here don't either.
As long as I have what I need, then everything is hunky dory.

The stock market is not the only indicator of a good economy.
When people are not working that means less and less tax money for local economies and money hungry Uncle Sam.

People need to wake up. Soon we will be the next European Union. It may be good for your pocket, but it won't be good the American dream of, Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It seems today that what makes everybody happy is more for Me, Me, Me not us.

[dmz]

Guys, if you think the U.S. government is going to let BA go down the tubes, you're kidding yourselves. You're also kidding yourselves that BA doesn't need its ass kicked up between its ears from time to time.

It's a huge company, sometimes the mule doesn't pay attention.

[Splinemodel]

Here's a post some extremely intelligent guy made on another forum ;)


My prediction: Air Force successfully buys [Airbus Tanker], but in much reduced quantities as originally planned while they are forced to wait for Boeing to cook up something.

I am glad that Boeing is really working hard on developing new technology for the 787 (which, of course, has Airbus crying foul), but this was clearly a victory for [Northrop Grumman's] bid team. Boeing: suck it up, and do a better job next time. I guess it's fitting that Northrop, who by mysterious reasoning lost the ATF bid 20 years ago, won the KC-X bid by anything but mysterious reasoning, and, it seems, in large part from their ability to deliver the product quickly. What a disaster the F-22 has been: 20 years! It's time to put some fear back into the US Aero industry.


Basically, we should fear the military industrial complex. If anything, knocking Boeing down a notch or two is good in the long term. They clearly approached this RFP with a cavalier attitude.



People need to wake up. Soon we will be the next European Union. It may be good for your pocket, but it won't be good the American dream of, Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It seems today that what makes everybody happy is more for Me, Me, Me not us.

If we pork-out this contract to Boeing, that would be a more of an EU type of thing to do than would be awarding the contract to the best product. Besides, aren't you in the group of AI'ers who are constantly promoting EU-style social democracy? You quote TJ in you signature, and you also quote life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, fittingly, but neither Jefferson or his catch phrases were ever interested in pork barrel projects or nanny states. The American dream is, in fact, the bipolar opposite of guaranteeing union jobs.

[Gon]

Yes my question was serious. Our economy is in trouble, but the government doesn't care about the working people of this country. Apparently many of you here don't either.I think many here are thinking of *all* the working people, who pay for the purchase with their taxes. I think the American workers should get the best Air Force possible for their money. And that, Air Force has determined, means buying from Airbus.

You seem to only be considering the short term effects on people currently employed at Boeing. Why would it be a good idea to screw every other person in the US, as well as the Airbus people making a quality product, as well as the Air Force by lowering their effectiveness, just to give a handout to Boeing employees and especially Boeing owners?

[Splinemodel]

I'm kind of upset this thread is all washed up, because I, for one, find it to be an extremely synergistic and interesting current event. 8-)

[mydo]

What I would ask is how is Boeing going to use lean thinking and 6-sigma to over come recent setbacks and return the stock to it's pervious stellar performance.