You need to open your horizons a little Phoenix. It is not the cadets that airline management are trying to screw, it is anybody and anything that gets in their way of making a personal profit. Geoff Dixon was happy to screw the entire airline to line his pockets. My argument is not anti-cadet, it is anti-short term greed oriented management. They are in it for themselves and do not play by the gentlemanly rules that you and I would if given a chance. Enthusiastic peolple willing to sacrifice themselves just makes it that much easier for them. They will push employees to reduce conditions until employees push back.
Yes, I agree that optimism generally gets you further in life than pessimism. Use that optimism to become active in a union to improve your conditions. The GA attitude of improving your conditions by quitting your current employer and working for someone else when your experience improves is the old way. Smart management is on to that modus operandi and they use it to their advantage. In all forms of conflic you must adapt to survive. You accuse us old fellas of being unable to adapt to the new ways, but it is this GA attitude that is the old way, and it is not going to get the results anymore.
I suspect I am quite a bit older than you, with plenty of heavy jet experience. I can see the writing on the wall and I am actively re-skilling myself rather than hoping I can get an elusive good paying overseas job should things go belly up. Hopefully I will not have to use it and can remain doing what I love.