In the U.S., compensation trends for working people have been going down since the 80’s. Very few “cushy” union jobs left for folks with only high school educations….the days of 40 years and a gold watch (and a company funded retirement program) are over. On the one hand, jobs have been outsourced to other countries, on the other hand, illegal immigration has provided a huge influx of cheap workers. The average guy’s job gets squeezed in both directions. Meanwhile, mainland Europe (mostly France and Germany) continue with cradle to grave goodies for everyone. I guess they think they can just stick their head in the sand and the global economy will go away. Of course, BAE saw all this and sold their shares. Airbus is in trouble, indeed all of mainland Europe is. The U.S. has a 25 year head start on pay and benefit cuts for the rank and file.

Airbus is only offering to assemble their tanker entry in the U.S. because U.S. labor is cheaper than Europe.

Consider the auto industry. Count the Toyotas on the Champs Elysee, and then count them on mainstreet U.S.A. Mainland Europe is not only socialist, its protectionist too boot. Yes, its true that Toyota and the other Japanese car companies are building plants in the U.S., but their people have to work (a full shift!) and their contracts aren’t nearly as lucrative as the U.S. automakers. And their managers only make 4 times what the workers do while the U.S. companies managers make 10 times what the workers do. One american manager is not worth two and half times more than the harder working, dedicated, Japanese manager.

One last item, more geopolitics. Japanese carriers held off ordering A380 because they know Europe will never protect them from Chinese agression. Hell, France won’t even defend herself, let alone anyone else. Meanwhile, the U.S. Sixth Fleet is still based in Yokosuka. An attack on Japan is an attack on America, and everyone knows it.

I basically agree, except I don’t think the US would refuse to defend Japan if a Japanese airline bought from Airbus! US would defend Japan for it’s own reasons and ultimately to protect itself.