Boeing faces new US investigation into 'missed' 787 inspections

Systemic Rot vs. Isolated Failures

• Many see Boeing as “rotten to the core,” with falsified inspections and long‑term erosion of a once-strong safety/engineering culture.
• Others argue this is amplified by current scrutiny, but still reflects years of stock-price‑driven cost-cutting and outsourcing.
• A minority view suggests similar mismatches between paperwork and reality are endemic in many industries; Boeing’s failures just exposed it.

Too Big to Fail, Nationalization, and Restructuring

• Boeing is widely seen as “too big to fail” due to its role in commercial aviation and as a key defense contractor.
• Proposals:
  • Nationalize Boeing, replace leadership with engineers, then later re-privatize.
  • Force bankruptcy via fines, then have the government buy and restructure it.
  • Break out or reverse the McDonnell Douglas merger (some doubt this is feasible or helpful).
• Others highlight legal and political barriers: “takings” issues, shareholder wipeout, and lack of US appetite for nationalization.

Regulation, Self-Regulation, and Criminal Liability

• Strong criticism of FAA’s delegation of certification/inspection to Boeing; seen as a deregulation failure.
• Broad skepticism of industry self-regulation, with Boeing cited as a proof point that it “of course” goes bad.
• Suggestions:
  • Personal criminal liability for ignoring safety issues, up to the board.
  • Stronger, better-funded independent regulators, not corporate self-certification.
• Some note other sectors (pharma, oil, shipping, finance) with serious safety or ethics failures, reinforcing distrust of self-policing.

Incentives, Cost-Cutting, and Management Culture

• Repeated theme: shareholder pressure and cost-cutting trump safety; “accountants beat engineers,” especially post‑merger.
• Outsourcing and subcontracting seen as ways to cut cost and offload blame (e.g., software vendors, suppliers).
• Concern that Boeing management will scapegoat individual employees for falsified inspections rather than address systemic incentives.

Safety Perception and Risk Comparisons

• Several commenters are personally uneasy about flying Boeing aircraft.
• Debate over whether aviation remains far safer than driving, with disagreements about the right metrics (per trip, mile, or hour).
• Consensus: current failures may not yet show up in aggregate stats but could rapidly erode safety if uncorrected.