Cynical? Perhaps... but it's also the absolute truth.

Take Athearn and MDC's shift to "RTR everything", for example; far too many so-called "model railroaders" want contest or showcase quality models without having to spend any time assembling, painting, detailing, or decaling those models. (Of course, some of those folks aren't really interested in running trains; they probably just want something that looks good on a shelf or in a display case, just like too many of those !@#$%##! brass collectors. Arrrgh...)

Then again, too many of today's kids are spoiled rotten from day one and probably expect such things. Very few of those kids are probably willing to really spend time working on something when they can get it "ready to run". Unfortunately, actually working on anything seems to be "old-fashioned" these days...

(It was that way when I was growing up in California, too, as far too many of my fellow "Gen-X'ers" seemed to get whatever they wanted from their parents. I didn't, though, as we were living off of my dad's Social Security and VA disability income - my mother was deceased - and it was hard enough just making ends meet, much less to provide any of the things that other parents could give to their kids without a second thought. He did get me a couple of the old Life-Like train sets with the styrofoam bases, building kits, and scenery for Christmas one year, though, and I've been into model and full-size trains ever since...)