37 years in and I cannot recall an instance where we ever purchased anything that came in on time, on budget and did exactly what it said on the tin.
The common denominator in all of this is the Officer cadre, no chips here guys none at all but we ask those folk to go and do something that they are out of their depth attempting.
If I go to buy a TV, computer, camera, car etc etc I KNOW before I go that the salesman is going to try and hoop me into buying the stuff he wants to unload and make the most money on.
It's no accident that the Internet is awash with websites to help the unsuspecting navigate their way through some of these major purchases, clucking bell Which Magazine has been going for years for precisely that reason.
Is in any bloody wonder when we send Flt Lt's and Sqn Ldr's etc to take on the piranhas of big business that we get hooped.
Is it any bloody wonder that when we then post said officers every 2 years because it's good for their career paths we get hooped.
None of this is rocket science and we can try and blame any manufacturer we like but the plain and honest truth is that we do it all on our own all of the time.
Until we can face up that then the process will continue and big business will rub it's hands with glee every time some poor unsuspecting sap in light blue/dark blue/green walks through the door.