We all love to hate the regulator and lay the blame at their feet.However, it is not all the FAA's fault.
This nation likes to call Govt. regulation and control overreach , socialism or at worst, communism.There is always a push back from "free enterprise" when a regulator tries to introduce a new rule.This is common to all industries and more so in the aviation industry because of the dual mandate of the FAA.
The rest of the story lies in the profit motive and everything hinges on that.Low salaries, bare bones training,cheapest possible equipment,degrading benefits are all a direct result of the corporations making big bucks for their stock holders and upper executive staff.The ratio of CEO's salary to a mid level employee's salary in the rest of the world is anywhere between 1: 8 to 1:25.In the US it is 1:400.That is only possible if they keep the FAA out and make safety a low priority.
After all, that was how the West was won.
I would challenge all my fellow Americans on this board to dispute what I just said.The sad irony is that they are all probably right wing to a fault and probably think I am a communist.
So,in short ,it is the culture,not the regulator. We have met the enemy and he is us.
Rant over.
Alt3.