Aloha Carol,
There is a management employee relationship that really is not yours or my issue, I don't engage in that and see no reason why any customer would or should. Not my problem and I won't let it become my problem.

It the restaurant adds a line item clearly or makes the effort to show that there was a service/tip charge added that certainly is not smoke and mirrors. If they add a charge and either try to disguise it or claim that it is not part of the tip then that is certainly something to complain about and I could see a smoke and mirrors reference. I don't return to those types of places.

The math I see is if out of 100 customers 20 don't tip or tip as some would on say the French side, the other 80 people have to make up that short fall. Change the percentages but that is the math.
The restaurant still needs to make money and the staff still need to get paid or they don't survive or they don't keep their staff which usually equates to them not surviving.

In most places in the US I don't like auto tip either, but in cities that have a heavy international clientele such as a Miami or NYC, they often do add the line item to protect them and their staff from people that don't tip because that is their culture from where they are from. No harm intended by said foreigner but that again is they way they are used to handling it.

I am in the freight business, some people claim to me that they presently don't pay for liftgates as that is included per their contract with their other carrier. Well, it still cost to provide a liftgate but it gets massaged into the overall rates. We still have to make margin, so when it comes down to it all the shipments they do that don't require a liftgate are paying for those that actually need a liftgate.

Also, not sure how to read the words that are in all caps, it makes me wonder if you are mad about this and I am just discussing my views. Hopefully you are not angry about this as that is not my intent.

On a jet, bouncing around so please excuse spelling and grammar errors. Not that I am ever good with spelling or grammar but I have an excuse this time.

Cheers,
Todd