Andy, you keep trotting out the lie "but they do it like that elsewhere, and it's fine". Either you are perpetuating this lie because you believe the NASIG spin, or you are being dishonest. The differences are all over these threads (the primary one being radar coverage).
Airspace System . You can't just change the services provided in parts of the airspace, then claim "it's the same as the U.S.", unless the whole system is changed (radar coverage, FS, flight following, 'control culture' etc etc.).
And yes, it would help if you understood the politics as background. It might give you some insight into the frustration and anger displayed. (eg. watch with dismay while large area freqs are joined onto control freqs, despite the warnings, in order to sack the FSOs for "efficiency". Then have "freq congestion" cited as the reason some of these stupid changes are required. The same people who stuffed the system are stuffing it further. The U.S. system has FSOs, so when will they be re-hiring them? We are getting the U.S. system , right?)