I think it is important to note that whether Boeing was the impetus or involved at all in the transition to ARs is sort of meaningless. The AR was the person(s) who were supposed to be the safety-net, to catch schlock work like that that was done on MCAS. The problem was/is Boeing as a company and an institution did schlock work that resulted in 300+ deaths. The problem was not the AR(s) on the project. (Yes, that system is effed and needs to be killed in short order, and yes, by not forcing the work to be redone until it was satisfactory they contributed, but the problem, the root of the problem, is Boeing deliberately did schlock work.)The AR facilitating that process would have been meaningless if Boeing had done quality work in the first place.
For anyone involved in this project I can only imagine how devastating it must be to have or suspect knowledge that they may have contributed to the sick joke of a solution that was MCAS and the resultant outcome of that solution.
People of conscience, when faced with the reality that their creation killed 300+ people respond with contrition and empathy for the loss. In extreme cases they look within and find it lacking to the point of considering personal harm- which is an absolute tragedy piled onto an already tragic situation.
Boeing executives on the other hand, when faced with the same reality blame the crews, airlines and pretty much anyone they can come up with to put the finger on. For them it isn't "I'm sorry." Its repeating insults like "Safety is ALWAYS Boeing's first priority." Which is exactly what you would expect to hear from an executive in the wake of a tragedy if he did not in fact care a whit.
I feel very bad for the people of conscience and I fear that there will be more victims of this debacle before it is truly over. Equally I revile the execs as they are the ultimate corporate shill- something Boeing has seemed to have many of in the past 15 or so years.
Regards,
dce