Pardon my trolling, but I think it's ridiculous that people freak out at the dangers of diving CCRs, but then climb into a motor-car and drive it down highways while checking their email and rocking out to "Stairway to Heaven." With their kids in the back seat...
As you know Reg, a driver can be inattentive and still arrive at their destination safely. The driver may be a non-licensed teenager who goes on joyride, a licensed driver texting, talking on their cellphone, or driving after consuming alcohol. With CCR, if you don't know what you're doing, it's highly likely that you're going to kill yourself.
I agree with you that people take unnecessary risks. Some are just not too bright; while at the same time 'others' seek to learn how and are not taught enough to keep them safe. Some diver training Agencies are quick to grab the money even certifying non-swimmers (how safe is that?)
I don't doubt that CCR will become totally automated and will be available to people on a mass scale in years to come. When this occurs, people with little training will see 200 FSW regularly. Statistics will indicate a low death toll and some will hold this out as proof that anyone can dive safely after 4 hours of instruction.
This lowering of standards has been repeated several times in the past. The question use to be: How much can we teach them over the minimum (what a person should reasonably know to prepare themselves to dive safely)? to How little can we teach them before they are certified (if they want more they can always come back on an Advanced course)? Interestingly enough, there are a high number of people who will defend the latter. If you wonder who these are, I'd quote 'All the President's Men'... just "follow the money."