PLovett: Have a look at some of the photographs on the following and then say SIDs is a waste of money.
CASA Airworthiness Bulletin
IMHO those photos prove nothing.
You shouldn't need a SIDS programme to find those issues. Some of the examples in that bulletin are examples of gross negligence or incompetence. They were certainly did not come about through proper maintenance.
If the relevant manufacturers inspections had been carried out by a competent person most of the those examples would have been found without a SIDS programme. For those items that may not be picked up on an inspection checklist, my experience has been that any engineer worth his salt will know from experience to look for these issues as well.