Dave CI recognize that our own negative experiences can shape our perception of the world, but your statements are wholly ignorant.
Firstly, there are bad doctors, bad lawyers, bad bus drivers, bad police officers, bad homemakers, bad accounting programmers just as there are bad CAs. This is just a result of human behaviors and flaws. To state there is a good reason of healthy distrust for the CA profession supported by some vague experiences you had is labelling an entire profession on miniscule evidence. It is like me having a negative experience with a doctor, and saying a person should have healthy distrust of the entire medical profession - absurd. I know it is en vogue to distrust people in positions of power and wealth, but ignorance gets you nowhere.
Your implication with "the CA profession takes care of their own" indicates that even with evidence of wrong-doing, fraud, or incompetence, the profession will find a way to let a CA keep their designation. Hardly! The profession does not want a negative perception or to dilute the pool, so to speak. Many CAs have lost their designation in the past many years due to violations of ethics. If a CFO, who is a CA, is found guilty of manipulating accounting records or fraud, you can be assured their CA designation will be challenged and revoked.
And, I agree with one thing you said, if a CA becomes "bored" of audit, tax, consulting, business valuations, acquisitions/mergers, advisory services, etc. in a firm - they can join industry. Over half of all CAs work in industry now. I guess things have changed in the last 20 years, no? lol. And many start their own businesses and ventures, as well, as you have done. Trick is to make enough in your business to afford your dues. Who wouldn't pay annual dues to keep the letters by their name? You somehow think being a CA is a "bad" association to have? You must not be very involved in the business community I imagine....