You'll excuse me if dont put a lot of faith in your comments as...

You'll excuse me if dont put a lot of faith in your comments as coming from someone who invested in T-REX airlines lol ( explains why you downramp QF ) .
Have i had my head in the sand for 6 months ? NO i haven't , and try googling the question " is qantas an Australian icon " and the answer is
quote " From its original base in the outback Queensland town of Winton, Qantas has grown to become Australia's largest airline. It is the second oldest airline in the world, and the company and its flying kangaroo logo have become an Australian icon."
So there you have it ......... as i stated Qantas IS classed as an Australian icon .
Now to your other statement ......
I am a mum and dad type shareholder ( albeit with a decent portfolio ) and i have made plenty out of trading Qantas shares ....... therefor my statement that it has been a pretty good earner for m&d shareholders stands to be true in my case

Go ahead and short Qantas ....... I DARE YOU !!
Like any other QF shorters you will get burnt in the long run . The problem with people here shorting QF is that they fail to recognise that REGARDLESS of what all your instincts and looking at balance sheets and charts tells you , Qantas will always come thru in the long run simply because it won't be allowed to fail , shares could fall to lower levels but shareholders will always pile back in because it is QANTAS . Now that may not be the way the sharemarket SHOULD react but the reality is that that is exactly what happens and a reason to be very wary of shorting iconic companies .
And with that i rest my case ........ argue with and try to convince yourself differently if you wish but for now that is my final word on the current topic. do enjoy your day .