> somewhere on the spectrum between "egalitarian, flat organization Utopia" and "Slavery"

I didn't say that collective ruin was a result of unionism, only that that you appeared to be trying illustrate a point by outlining a broad spectrum of outcomes, but IMO you forgot one common outcome of forced collectivization. Where it belongs on that spectrum can be debated but that it's a common outcome cannot be.

>Why is union-related collective ruin anathema, but elite-driven ruin is seen as an acceptable price to pay? Enron, the Great Recession, etc.

What are you talking about? Multiple people were convicted over the Enron scandal, including some serious prison terms.