Agreed. Its a troubling claim. And its not all about money. Its about fabrication capability, of making sure an aeronautical production infrastructure doesn't wither away.
Boeing's "Integration" as a strategy is a last gasp to keep the COMPANY in business, but for the COUNTRY, it may presage keeping only some minimal capability.
Paul, I usually respect your views on the aerospace business, but this statement couldn't be further from reality. Going from a parts manufacturer to a large scale system integrator is NOT a last gasp but rather a very successful strategy for many reasons. Large scale integration is how Airbus became so successful (however mismanagement is why it is failing). IMHO