High n Low,
Sorry, but getting into machines where you know there are problems, but there is no information in the Techlogs, databases out of date by years, problems that are supposedly "fixed" in one machine, but you then find in another because it's just been passed around. Is not acceptable.
I remember a 748 flying around after the main door had come off it's supports, one that had been hit by a ground handling vehicle and yet when the crews complained, they were threatened. If that is acceptable, then I suggest you're in the wrong business.
Any decent company wouldn't even blink if you said you weren't flying such a machine.
Who's worse? To be honest they are as bad as each other, but the management team, must take the lion's share of the moral responsibility, if not the legal responsibility.
I'll just clarify my thoughts, I was often more worried for people's licences and livelihoods than their lives as they would be the fall guys initially if any "problems" were found. Something that unfortunately has come to pass.