Oddbean new post about login | logout @Low Information Voter Some things can't be broken up. In the case of Boeing, part of the problem is that they *were* broken up, spinning off manufacturing plants into contractors who can be blamed when things go wrong.
@Low Information Voter Electricity distribution is another thing that shouldn't be privatized. The priority should be to make sure electricity is distributed to customers safely and consistently not to make profit for investors.
Many countries have government owned electricity monopolies. They are great examples of what happens to government-owned monopolies - stacked with cronies, run down on maintainence, and invariably privatised for a song. And slow, terrible service to anyone not connected to a big shot in politics or law enforcement.
If contractors were actually held accountable for defects, the defects would stop. If Boeing performed QA and due diligence, they'd be caught before they did any harm. Neither was doing their job, and both were sure the government would cover up for them. Boeing ought to be shut down, and its managers forbidden from managing any aerospace or safety-critical business again.