Boeing vs Airbus

[viper]

First of all before I write this post I do not want this thread deteriorating into a EU vs USA thread or I will ask for it to be deleted!

Since the late 1970\'s, both Boeing and Airbus have been subsidised by their respective governments to help boost profits due to the heavy cost of developing passenger airliners. Until recently, Boeing have been the un-disputed leaders in the airliner market with a greater than 50% share of the market compared to Airbus.

However, over the past 6 years, Airbus have grown in strength and market share and now, it is Boeing with the less than 50% share of the market and Airbus becoming the world leaders in the airliner market. With the advent of Boeings 787 and the new super Jumbo, the Airbus A380, this market lead is already growing larger (A380 has many more orders than the 787).

Boeing and the US government are now demanding that Airbus\'s government subsidies are ceased immediatly or trade sanctions would be put in place in order for Boeing to regain its market lead. While they are demanding Airbus\'s subsidies are ceased, they are refusing to cease the subsidies to Boeing, which the EU has responded with \"fairs fair, we cease and you cease aswell\". This has grown to boiling point at it is about to be taken to the WTO which would heavily damage each countries economy.

Analists in both countries have stated that these demands by Boeing and the US Government are illegal and completely against capitalism. One American business professor was interviewed and stated that because global capitalism is working an a non-american producer is making better and more succesful products forcing an American producer to loose money, the US government is now trying to force the balance of capitalism.

It is worth of note, this is also happening in the engine producers aswell, Pratt and Whitney are demanding that subsidies to Roll Royce aero engines are removed aswell (without their own being removed) as they cannot compete with the latest generation of ultra-powerful and efficient engines being produced by Rolls Royce and Snecma.

So, I open this to the floor, is it right that true capitalism should be stopped just to benefit a losing party who, like many companies were top of the rung but slowed their R&D, only to be overtaken by the competition? Discuss, maturely, not patriotically, and sensibly.....

Vips

A few pics:
A380 no.1 at rollout last month (first flight expected within 3 weeks of now)...

(if that doesnt come up: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/760641/M/)

787 Artists drawing (hasn\'t been built yet)