[dmix]

Yes mostly the idea that risk should be averted at all times by using the same few companies has fully captured US gov culture. And it’s only gotten much worse since they seem to think China should be the model to copy because they dump money into pet megacorps there, even though it’s still a very new concept that is far from proven sustainable in China itself. Not to mention they mostly coast off copying US innovation and preventing competition.

But mostly the issue is employing it as a long term strategy, because it worked a few times in the last as a short term boost to newly ascendant orgs (ala NASA+space industry in the 1960s) before the Iron Rule of bureaucracy kicks in at all organizations involved, be they private or public.