>> Who would join a union that won’t support its members?

Me. I had many jobs where joining the union was "manditory". Whether it was the union at the universities where i studied or taught, or the union that runs the film industry in which i worked as a kid, there was no practical alternative. None of the unions of which I was forced to be a member ever represented my best interests.

Just how many crises akin to these pilots near-miss did you experience?

It's a contradiction. Thinking about it involves holding two conflicting thoughts in your mind at the same time. I can't change that. I'm just saying it's never been as simple as some like to pretend it is.