Vilas, thanks for your reply. Don't get me wrong: I'm not manual-flight mad (I could be the biggest nerd in my outfit, but I handfly when I can because it improves my ability and comfort in getting rid of the automation if I need to). In my view, the balance at the moment is 95% automation, 5% manual. The 95%ers are simply unable to do/revert to the 5%. Aeroplanes are crashing needlessly because of it. The imbalance needs to be addressed.
All those Airbus rules presuppose one thing: that the crew are competent and happy and willing to decrease the automation level, instinctively if that's what it takes, as needed. It is painfully obvious that increasingly, crews are not competent and happy and willing to decrease the automation level.