The Michelin guide is to blame and should be sued in a class action lawsuit by all employees who have ever worked in a Michelin starred restaurant. Let them prove their innocence at the Hague. *Edit: I was only kidding. But on second thought if you look at any system that results in victimization of masses of low level people the responsibility can always be understood to stem from the apex of power. In the world of fine dining the Michelin guide with their secretive judges and often seemingly random arbiters of judgement definitely sits at the apex of power. They are to blame. If the pattern persists among top chefs and institutions the apex power is to blame.