I think Clauswitz said diplomacy is war by other means but you are right in making the same allusion- warning for the UK there in trying to take on trade negotiations with the huge global 'blocs'/ Not much chance of a good deal being done is there.
Also Boeing is heavily supported by having virtual exclusivity as supplier to the USAF and USN something airbus doesnt have in the Eu and yes the workers at AB and Boeing do the hard work and lawyers get a fortune for a pointless exercise-why shouldnt airbus get support from the Eu and why shouldn't Boeing get support from Uncle Sam. They are startegic industries and it would be better to accept them as such rather than chase a pointless holy grail of competition just a because a few ivory tower economists think that market forces will protect consumers interests. Try that on the UK energy market to see what a facile concept that is compared to EU mobile phone roaming charges where the regulator eventually said enoughs enough they are banned.
As my Uni lecturer put it Economics is the history of money , its not a science and it is no use for predictign anything