@Omnilight37 - Good writeup!
Yep, when GE decided it was better to clone an AEL product instead of continuing with designing their own, they guaranteed their own downfall in a little over two decades hence. Just like Westinghouse, they became their own worst enemy, when profits became their all-in-all. We can thank GE CEO Jack Welch for starting the process back in '81. He was great for his stockholders, but not for his workers.
Jeff Immelt was the CEO during the time the GE ThinScape released and Jack Welch said he regretted appointing him as his successor. Jeff Immelt and Jack Welch were polar opposites in many ways from the standpoint of leadership. Jack Welch did not die a happy man, he passed away amidst the drastic decline of the scale General Electric and just before they split into multiple smaller companies in 2023.
