By Nirmal P. Acharya
Boeing whistleblower John Barnett, a former Boeing employee who attracted attention for exposing the company’s production standards and safety problems, was found dead in a hotel parking lot on March 9. Barnett intended to return to Louisiana after his deposition on March 8, however, Boeing lawyers requested him to stay an extra day to complete his testimony. His body was found on the morning of March 9.
The recent spate of accidents involving Boeing aircraft is worrying. It is reported that ten fatal accidents have occurred in just three months. These incidents include a variety of different types of problems, from engine fires to broken wings to shattered windshields. These incidents seriously affected the safety of passengers and raised questions about the safety of Boeing aircraft.
In this regard, my understanding is as follows: the US manufacturing industry has been hollowed out, coupled with the implementation of the “decoupling” policy with the largest industrial country China, its own weak industrial chain has been unable to support the industrial crown such as Boeing aircraft.
In the chip industry, the US has failed to contain China. In the automobile industry, the trend of China’s leading new energy vehicles to completely eliminate Western-dominated fuel vehicles has begun to emerge. If it loses its advantage in the civil aviation industry, the imperial aura enveloped in the US may become the “emperor’s new clothes” in Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale.
The frequent accidents of Boeing aircraft have seriously afflicted the confidence of people around the world in the industrial capability of the US. If the US does not have the ability to maintain the prestige of the Boeing aircraft, I do not believe that the US has the ability to complete the MCC.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect People’s Review’s editorial stance.
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