Bud leon, this has nothing to do with imperialism.
This is a hard reality. Flying in Asia for many years now, I cannot disagree with caulfield views and observations. Of course it may or may not be relevant to Air Asia's current misfortune.
I fly with first officers who are ready to upgrade to captain, and have NEVER flown the A320 without ATHR. NEVER flown with FD's OFF. NEVER opened a book about aviation since they got their CPL, except the simulator syllabus for a 6 month check. Only when fully established on the ILS will SOME disconnect the autopilot before the minimums or 500 feet.
When you ask some basic questions like how TAS can be estimated, the answer is "look at FMS distance remaining and divide by the flight time to destination". No joke.
The laws of physics and aerodynamics are not to change, but over the years, beancounters et al. have sold to a wide audience that with today's technologically advanced aircraft, all you need at the pointy end is a couple of guys pushing buttons to keep all flight parameters in check. Nothing could be more wrong. This includes how the wx radar is used. This includes, unfortunately, how decision making is integrated, or not, in today's airline culture.
I do hope the above-mentioned aspects will not be found to be a contributing factor in the demise of this aircraft. But it is a possibility.