This feeling of hopelessness by US Airways workgroups reminds me of research by the psychologist, Martin Seligman. He placed a dog in a metal cage and then shocks were applied to the cage with no avenue of escape for the dog. A red light would appear with a horn blast before the shock was presented. Initially, the dog would attempt to escape the shocks. Eventually, the dog realized that all attempts were futile and he gave up. He just layed down and accepted the shocks. Then a section of cage was attached where there were no shocks. The dog could have easily stepped into this section by stepping over a small barrier. But the dog still layed there and took his shocks. He would just lay there and say, "I don't give a f$%^ anymore". Seligman named this theory "learned helplessness". Many of us feel like this poor old dog, East and West.