Quote:
Originally Posted by glatt
The other day, there was a full page ad in the Washington Post promoting Northrop's bid. It's always interesting to me to see those ads since they cost a hell of a lot of money and are only intended to be seen by a handful of important eyes.
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Important eyes view the technology; choose Northrop. Boeing is appealing to the naive using half truth and hyping the 'Buy American' lies in public statements and advertisements. Northrop must do same because technology no longer matters - and because all these costs end up on government.
So how much of a Boeing airliner is manufactured overseas? Boeing was hyping that 'overseas manufactured' when selling aircraft oversea. Now they hype 'Buy American'? Suddenly the plane only has American parts? Which is it? They are appealing to the same people who know only because Rush Limbaugh, et al tell them how to think - only know what they are first told.
Most important is to frame it early. The less intelligent only believe the first thing heard; then deny any facts that arrive later. Important is to manipulate the naive so that Congress will cancel the contract. Boeing tells us the US Air Force is an evil institution that wants to destroy American jobs. Boeing spins it differently. But those who believe what they are told cannot see it this way.
How stupid. Air Force told Boeing to not propose a larger aircraft? Boeing could have submitted three different bids if the objective was to provide the Air Force with a best product. Boeing hoped that contract would protect a slowly dying 767 product line. And since Boeing supplied tankers for the past 50 years, Boeing viewed this contact as a done deal. Surprise. The Air Force wanted better aircraft - not corporate welfare for a company that had also bribed Air Force many officials (only some got punished) to win a previous contract.
Of course these other facts somehow get lost when preaching to the naive by waving flags and accusing the Air Force of being unfair. Better is to spend $40,000 every day on each newspaper preaching spin to the naive. Northrop must do same to protect their contract.