Government support, the state of the world aviation industry, the price of oil, customer support, World Trade Organization rulings, the speed of technological progress in composite materials, the reaction of industry behemoths Boeing and Airbus are all known unknowables which cause considerable uncertainty to the board of Bombardier.

FORBES: 3 Things Business Can Learn From Government

Throw in the low inflation of the past 20 years, a deregulated airline industry that's made travel much cheaper, plus technological progress that's provided the middle class with not only better cars and televisions, but every gadget from DVD players to iPods, all at lower and lower prices, and it's obvious that Mr. and Mrs.

FORBES: The Average American: 1967 And Today

In the high-tech industry, monetary awards are a better way to ensure that the pace of technological progress does not slacken under a welter of questionable lawsuits.

ECONOMIST: eBay’s bid to stop the injunctions | The