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A comment on United orders 50 new Airbus long-range jets to replace Boeing 757s. Parent comment

Re:United orders 50 new Airbus long-range jets to replace Bo... by kevinqiu1 on Wednesday December 04, 2019 @01:10PM (#21705010)
I think the MTAs woes are unique to the MTA/management of the MTA and not lack of competition. Paris and Madrid have no problem building and operating trains at reasonable costs even though they also operate with no competition.
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Re:United orders 50 new Airbus long-range jets to replace Bo... by iguy on Wednesday December 04, 2019 @02:37PM (#21706072)
I'd argue the problem is endemic to large stationary organizations, but some do a better job than others at keeping it at bay.

It's interesting to wonder why. I think one aspect is the degree to which politically powerful are willing to fight it. Famously Stalin actually cared that the Moscow metro worked well, and it did, in a country otherwise crippled by complacent behemoths.

Perhaps the Parisian elite likewise take more pride in having a metro which works OK, are willing to spend more political capital fighting for it. They feel some obligation to keep up with Brussels & Berlin, perhaps that substitutes for competition?

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