Competence is now 'heroic'

Following the coverage of the recent Hudson River aircraft ditching, several facets are remarkable.  

It is certainly a most refreshing change to see a dramatic, successful performance and outcome result from potentially catastrophic events.  Contrast this with recent headlines of financial catastrophes resulting from much more prosaic events and performances. 

Immediately, the pilot is proclaimed a hero and plans for parades and fetes commence. Although the pilot is justifiably proud of the result, he might also describe it as being an expected competent performance of his work. It is easy to imagine the plane piloted by a Wall Streeter.  He would have shaken down the passengers before using the only parachute to bail out just before it impacted with an elementary school.

Is competence so increasingly rare that it is now cause for celebration?

That we find the real pilot's competence 'heroic' begs the question of what sort of parade we're planning for those whose 'incompetence' is responsible for the various financial catastrophes.