Maybe they "liked" the post because they were "happy" you were proven wrong or whatever?
I admitted in another post that I MAY be naive on a subject. I'll admit here that I AM naive. Why/how is this bad for US airlines? I'm not saying you're wrong and I'm certainly not all "rah rah" gung-ho about Emirates. Don't US airlines do this as well? Doesn't Delta operate flights out of Amsterdam to other European countries? United and Delta both operate flights out of Japan, China, etc to other Asian countries?
(I'm not looking for you to put me in my place. Just to answer a question for a dummy)
My guess, from previous readings, is it'll go something like this.
Anti - Emirates crowd: They are a national airline, are backed by the oil rich government of the UAE, and US enterprise/companies can't compete with that sort of bottomless cash.
Pro - Emirates crowd: US airlines get plenty of tax subsides and that means they are backed by their nation too. Companies have to learn to compete with this real airlines presence.
Objectively: The WTO has settled cases similar to these with Boeing v Airbus. In final challenge # 2, the arbitrator and it's staff found that while boeing and airbus both receive government help, the european conglomerate receives wildly more money. Airbus had to find a way to back off the tax giveaway teat or they aren't competing in a free market. That is only the beginning and probably the smallest problem. International trade is vast and complex, and there's no agreed way on what subsidies mean what. Airbus get's a risk free loan to explore the A380 market. Boeing argues that is worse than giving equal money later because Airbus can innovate without risk (ie. Boeing 747 program launched by Boeing-history lesson time but not now). Airbus argues that Boeing disapproves of certain kinds of subsides, jumpstart programs (what we would call an R+D grant), but not feeding at the teat of yearly tax breaks. Airbus and any European company is going to get slammed each year they make a big profit by the gubbermint. So what does this have to do with the price of tea in China?
UAE does admit subsides are given to Emirates, but critics complain there isn't enough transparency. How then, can we properly weigh their business against values and requirements set forth by the WTO? UAE says, "sick a D 'Murica," or something like that and burns a flag because ... arab. I'm just being over the top, Emirates has an established business model that they are going to press into areas where they can compete, that's business. Quite frankly they could smash things wide open in America.
Historically? This is an old song and dance. Both sides will scoff and bluster and burn money to the God's of Lobbyist. In the end reason will be seen, and Emirates will have to play by the rules in America like everyone else (looking at Virgin now).
