No five green...not the sand, but I have been accused of having it up part of my own anatomy;-) But it is so far up I can still see light when I yawn!
I was on the GC a few years ago at a very interesting time...pretty much when the first Cat B's started happening. Given how 'opaque' the system is it is difficult for the AOA to fix the problem when no problem is 'visible'. Yes I know there is obviously a problem...but if it can't be identified how can we fix it? The star chamber is the ultimate in non-tranparency and total discrimination! You constanly hear of guys doing really well, then suddenly getting put in the sin bin for a year after 4 bar!? Go figure.
What I have noticed anecdotally is a very high correlation between Cat Bs and vociferous golf playing types from 2000/1...and apparently management don't like ex FEs either.
I understand your angst over junior guys getting freighter commands. But this needs to placed in context. ASL was introduced I think in 96. It was a major achievement of the GC to get freighter guys back onto our seniority list...one compromise was that the company wanted to keep freighter command pay on C(D) scales. At least freighter commands are offered to everyone within CX.
I would like to believe that the training department/star chamber are consistent across fleets...the statistics belie that assumption. How can the airbus continue to have a significantly higher failure rate than the 777. I mean, if you had the choice of which aircraft to go onto for CN and you weren't chuck yeager, you would choose the 777. So that would mean stronger, more chuck yeagerish, candidates would be left on the airbus. SO how come the failure rate stays so high on the bus vs 777?
I remember a QF mate telling me years ago that the long haul fleet had had a 100% failure rate whilst short haul(737) pass rate was almost 100%...the long haul fleet trainers just assumed that there were lower standards on the 737....not that their 9month long haul command was almost impossible to pass!
The problems are with the system...and I know it is frustrating but take it out on them not the GC. I can tell you that the GC is only as powerful as the actions the members are prepared to take....and since 2001 that isn't much!
Life is too important to be taken seriously.
PS Titan...damn...thought I had you worked out;-)