Thanks Dark Knight - good read.
Spotted this in the middle -
Even advocates for the manufacturer tried to diminish the accomplishment by pointing out how an Airbus, designed with a European socialist mentality takes the pilot out of the equation, not only prevents a “dumb pilot” from stalling or over-speeding an aircraft, ....
I guess that the French F/O on the AF447
Airbus A330 must have been a "smart pilot" then.