Ok, lets comment on the "16 or 1" argument, and by association whether merging means starting again or continuing on as per normal.
Personally, I think it is a matter of opinion for most.
However, if we are going to cite an example of this you can look outside the game to companies.
BHP merged with Billiton in 2001 to become BHP Billiton.
BHP Billiton still classes itself as a company started in Australia, Broken Hill to be exact, in about 1885 or thereabouts and has this entire history in its chronology - they didn't reset it to "a company kicked off in Melbourne and Luxembourg in 2001".
They did not wipe the books when the new company was created.
Billiton also kept its history, although its presence reduced because its history wasn't overly notable.
Coal and Allied count their history as dating back to 1844, despite being originally known as J and A Brown, then JABAS ( J and A Brown Abermain Seaham), then Coal and Allied - they have also had more owners then I can count, from John Brown till his death in 1930, on to Stephen Brown and a collective of companies, then RW Miller, then Howard Smith shipping, then CRA, then Rio Tinto - through all of this they have maintained their history and a name they have had for 40+ years.
Many other companies have been taken over and kept the name and the history, many have had the name changed and abandoned their history as some of it was scary.
QUOTE]
Yes they did in every case in every merger they do! You got it all wrong big time your not even close.
