For what little my opinion's worth, I'm not sure I see it that way. If anything, I think the fallout from the DC-10 "Gentlemen's Agreement" forced the manufacturers to pull their socks up and get things as right as possible.
If I recall correctly, the outcome of the TWA800 investigation led to a tightening of wiring inspections on older aircraft and a push to find a way of inerting fuel tanks when empty. Where do you see a move to deflect criticism from Boeing? I'm also pretty sure that the NTSB report on AA587 made mention of some of the A300's quirks regarding rudder pedal movement. The fact remains that had those rudder deflections occurred in that manner on any large aircraft with that tail/rudder configuration (e.g. B767), the vertical stab would still have come off. Ultimate Design Load means just that.
Back on-topic, The Brazilian government knows that ATC was a
shoot the way it was being done. Jail sentences were definitely overkill, but even if TCAS was disabled accidentally, it was still a breach of the rules to have it off.