Well Winstun, what do you expect from a bunch of Ludddites who immediately switch to playing the man, not the ball as soon as the facts don't suit them.
Maybe one day they will learn the difference between air traffic control and air traffic traffic SERVICE, as anyone who has flown in the real world would have noticed.
Until there is a major mindset adjustment they will remain 1970's style public servants, only too ready to give you 10 reasons why they can't do something, rather than the typical nothing-is-a-problem-lets-work-it-out attitude of the typical American ATC.
Unfortunately until then we have to put up with the fable that our over-regulated system is the "safest in the world" (its not, do an apples-apples comparison with the US, Canada and NZ - we come off a poor third).
Heaven help you guys when ADS-B comes in, but at least that will be another excuse to run arround doging bits of sky.