Scurvy, I can assure you that the truism does not depend on “who pays”.
I’ll say it again as it is pretty simple. The amount of money spent on air safety is limited by what those who pay for this can afford.
Scurvy, do you understand this? It is the actual people who pay what they can afford under the circumstances. If it is the individual passenger who pays, it is what that passenger can afford. If it is society as a whole, it is what society as a whole can afford.
The point I consistently make is that air safety is not different to anything else in this world. Just as night follows day, the amount of money that can be spent is always limited.