The 'Boeing thing' IMHO, is a combination of a bargain basement automation feature resulting from a case of decay in the safety culture, and exacerbated by a faulty (non-existent) man/machine interface. It wasn't about automation per se, but automation badly done. Now that the microscopes are focused on Boeing, other "weak points" in the safety culture are coming to light. To paraphrase The Bard: "Methinks something is rotten in the kingdom of Renton!"
Cheers,
Wes