Max reheat,
It has got nothing to do with being a rumour network. If you are so professional and set the highest standards at CX your personal view of the paying public that pay your industry leading salary is quite frankly appalling IMHO.
Although not for CX (and maybe having read some of these threads i am pleased not to be), I am in your position and I am sure I have seen much worse, down the back on my flights (if you have you ever operated the Hadj charters out of JED to West Africa with PAX urinating in the aisle you will know what I mean!). That said not sure I have ever referred to these people as scum..
I appreciate that CX are gradually eroding your platinum conditions but unfortunately, it is a case of welcome to the real world. It is happening at QF, BA, KLM, all the flag carriers as well as charter companies and LOCO's alike. Whilst you would probably like to think it, CX is no different, it is an airline and has to make money to continue. They are probably trying to remain competitive and affordable to the 'scum' they rely on to fill the aircraft and make routes profitable.
The tripe you spout about standards shows your naivety in that you have very little idea what goes on outside CX. Some of the pilots I come across in a training/checking capacity with LOCO or charter backgrounds are very talented indeed and to pretend your standard is a cut above the rest is presumptuous at best. After all your job cannot be any harder than any other airline pilot and indeed some i am sure would say easier in many respects (modern fleet, technical reliability, large well equipped airport to large well equipped airport and so on).
You remain some of the best rewarded pilots in the industry. I am sure you have worked very hard to get there and honestly well done to you.
It might be worth thinking from time to time life hasn't been that unkind, after all you could have ended up working for Southwest, Ryanair, EasyJet etc or worse still could have been one of the scum at the back saving up for weeks, months or years in order to afford to visit a relative or take a holiday.