Please provide me examples where the CEO of a major company threatened to cripple the US economy if his/her demands were not met.

Fair enough.

What’s to stop an enterprising, well funded startup from opening a fully automated port?

“Bargained effectively”? Union boss Harold Daggett extorted the US public by threatening to “cripple the US economy’ if his demands were not met.

This is a fantastic resource, not only for present generations, but also especially for future generations if any of these objects were to be damaged or destroyed.