@ TeachMe
'How may accidents has the automation and design philosophy prevented?'
Unfortunately that is obviously a question that can never be answered, therefore it is hard to make a good argument for or against that automation. Really, would a big red override button have saved this plane, but have resulted in two other accidents? We will never know.
Well, there is such possibility (allthough not a button) on the fly by wire 777. Now look at it's record. There has been no incident where the automatic overriding capability was used and as a consequence a situation was worsened. On the other hand the QF72 incident could be directly linked to the automation giving wrong inputs and the pilot not beeing able to intervene fast enough due to absence of such feature.
Hypothetical arguments as yours are very delicate. As you said, we might never know. But real incidents with findings exist and they stay awkwardly in the room to cry for a SOLUTION.