Caudillo, speaking as an outsider in all of this, but not I would add in the "low-cost" minefield, I have to say you are probably right.
Norman, I respect, and always derive insight from, reading your posts. I would refute any suggestion that you are on "the other side" or have even dipped a toe in the other camp. What I would say though, is that you give the impression of being too reasonable with those who are incapable of being reasonable back to you. Unfortunately offering a handshake to a greedy callous self serving beast more often results in it being bitten off than shaken.
Regretably, whilst you counsel reasonable behaviour and tolerance, I fear you will receive nothing of the sort from your masters.
Any attempt at reasonableness on your part will be seen as a sign of weakness/meekness, and they will mistakendly scent that you are unwilling to take the chance of a resultant bloodbath.
The only solution when dealing with b@stards is to behave like one too.
You must leave the greedy spineless sh1ts, whose only interest is in lining their grubby little pockets with substantial bonuses earned on your back (and even more so the backs of your pitiful Cadets) in no doubt whatsoever that this is end-game, and if there is nowt for you, there sure as hell will be nowt for them.
Regretably this is the only language their money-grabbing little mind-set understands.
Be reasonable with reasonable people, but you know as well as I do, these guys are just Ryanair-Management wannabees. For gods sake stop the rot before it's too late, or look at yellow/blue to see your future orange fate
.
The next few days will be important for Easy, Gentlemen, please verify your b@lls are in place, time to use them, or forever to repent, & regret that you didn't.