Dick,
You speak of
amateurish, childish
and then you make comments such as
Of course many of the airline pilots like it because they think are getting something for nothing, and that maximises the profits for their bosses
the whole catastrophe.
Entirely appropriate at the time and with the technology levels available, and before the Americans probably knew what aeroplanes were.
Amateurish and childish indeed. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
The IFR Directed Traffic Information service, required by the Class G spec (or should we call it Class F, as it is transitory airspace on the way to ADS-B surveilled Class E if you get your way), used to be provided by FSOs, who saved the industry quite a lot of money as they were not paid as much as ATCs. The current system (which you and your ATC cohorts put in place) actually costs more. But that doesn't matter, because "our" prime concern, much to your surprise, probably, is not money but safety, affordable safety. Since Class E without surveillance coverage of some sort just will not work, it is entirely logical to use the same "controller" to provide DTI and then the clearance when it becomes available. It works well "over here" with the sectorisation at FL290.