Quite an epic post there AMF, but you still haven't explained why I should put up with 7,000' slam dunks in ORD when there's no traffic around. You're still stuck in the groove on 'A games' and needing a 'bit of a larf' at work.
The TFS crash that you refer to was almost duplicated in BOS a few weeks ago. TFS was caused by bad RT and the accident is used to train pilots in 'what not to do' in CRM classes all over europe (except maybe the Netherlands) - and the very lessons being hammered home there are ignored daily in the US, and you think its 'jest fine an dandy, thats jest how we do it'.
To be fair, en-route ATC in the US is generally good.
Its in terminal areas, and specifically on Approach, Tower and Ground frequencies in places like JFK that the plot falls apart.
I was recently lied to about vis by a controller in JFK who decided to switch me to an approach to an unlit CAT1 runway in what were in fact CAT3 conditions - because it suited his pattern.
Their mentality is crummy.