The problem with this argument is that Boeing hasn't produced any innovation lately that I can see, while their much smaller competitor, SpaceX, is the one that

The problem with this argument is that Boeing hasn't produced any innovation lately that I can see, while their much smaller competitor, SpaceX, is the one that came up with reusable rockets that can land themselves. Things were really different back in the days of Bell Labs when those inventions were made (another example is Xerox and PARC). Companies like those invested heavily in R&D; long-term stability and profitability was more important than next-quarter returns. This just isn't the case in America any more.