Few companies live on the doorstep of life and death. But for airlines and their manufacturers, disaster is always just a breath away. Because of this stark reality, we expect extraordinary care from them. And when they fall short, we heap extraordinary criticism upon them.

Today, Boeing is the last commercial aircraft manufacturer left standing in the U.S.

Established in 1916, it is an American icon which has been built and buttressed by the consolidation of industry stalwarts Rockwell, Hughes and McDonnell Douglass. Globally, it has only one real competitor: Airbus, which is heavily subsidized by the French government. In fact, official French subsidies for Airbus have been the source of thorny trade disputes between the U.S. and Europe for decades. And although the U.S. government buys many planes from Boeing, our patronage comes amid considerable oversight and opposition from Congress.

Last week, Boeing's CEO, Dave Calhoun, faced Wall Street analysts in a fourth-quarter earnings call, responding to an incident in January in which a door panel on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 fell off midair. He opened with a clear, bold apology.

"I'll start........

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