sid,
didn't realise my post came over as a rant - blunt definitely, but a rant? I had hoped not and on re-reading would politely contend that it is not.
Yes, blunt to the point of rudeness I felt.
Your understanding of the clichéd analogy is correct. It may be painfully obvious to us who work in the industry but, I can assure you, it is not to those on the outside. You would have to explain slowly in words of one syllable. I tried it on my daughter who is a Ph.D looking for an academic post and neither thick nor slow on the uptake. Her response: So what. If you think terms for these youngsters are poor (and they are), you should try pay and conditions in tertiary education.
I'd be intrigued to know on what grounds you suspect that I have some sort of personal or financial involvement other than simply being employed as a TC, a fact which I have not hidden.