One of the many aggravating things about this mess is that Boeing brought it all on themselves right at the start when there was NO competitor, so why on earth did upper levels at the company feel they had to use the "ggod offices" of the lady who later caught the blast ? She's probably a lot worse off than the execs who got shoved out, by the way.
Round 2 showed that now there is a worthwhile competitor - gone are the days when Boeing could feel "entitled". The subsequent screams about job-losses hardly stand up, but the pols that are amking them aren't to know, being fed by their paymaster. The patriotism thing is just cringe-making ... Is it "patriotic" to make your Air FOrce fly second-choice aircraft ?
Let's hope Round 3 proves that the playing field really is "spirit-level level"
(Some hopes).