One major different difference between that time during Armstrong and today under the Ratty and Stinky.
Back then, we had a stratagy of building up cable assets, getting into the wireless business (McCaw). But the BoD could not understand the financials of WorldCon and how Bernie Ebbers was making such good margins. So the BoD forced Armstrong out, sold all the cable and wireless assets off for a shiny nickel, began the massive layoffs, and set T up to be bought by SBC.
The BoD did not know that Ebbers was running the biggest fraud in American history, well up till that point.
The other difference was that Amrstrong, unlike the Ratty and Stink was not a metally ill megalomanic that only wanted to fill his back account and make employees miserable. Armstrong was not the top of the CEO Wall of Shame.