BigBux, accept all you say, just to point out that the instances I quoted were generally done by the crew alone and no referral to higher authority. "Better to seek forgiveness . . . "
Certainly at the higher level they would balance a cruise missile with no human factors or aircraft risk against an LGB. Where there is negligible risk to aircrew the LGB might deliver a bigger bang at lower cost. That be different.
On your other NHS response, how and can chief executives of NHS or County Councils justify salaries double that of a man or woman who runs the country? The argument that you need to pay big bucks as you are in competition with industry doesn't hold when you consider that your Government ministers are also sourced from a similar pool.