In article ,
Jim Kingdon wrote:
Much though I hate to say it :-), the current mess is *not* the fault of
the current White House. The previous one, and the one before that, and
also the two or three before that, were just as inattentive about this.

It wasn't inattention, it was deliberate policy. At least, that's how
I remember it. (remember the debates about "is there enough
shipbuilding business to support N shipbuilders?" in the 90's).

I would still call it inattention, because the long-term way to deal with
such a situation is to encourage newer, more efficient entrants, not to
worry about whether the incumbents should merge or not. A singleminded
focus on mergers and consolidation among the incumbents is precisely the
mistake that was made. Wrong *issue*, not wrong *answer*.
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