AAA Financial Rating

Isn't it ironic that just when you need a Triple A rating that it goes away? GE and Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffet's business home were rated Triple A until last week. Just like the super tranche Mortgage Backed Securities [MBS] that AIG backed with Collateral Default Swaps [CDS's]. I know that things change but if the rating is only good when things are good what the heck is the meaning of Triple A? The answer it seems is very little. Investors and institutions rely too much on the financial ratings for decision making and not enough to the fundamentals. The rating agencies have enjoyed way too much power and protection in the past. They are paid by the firms that they are rating and can turn on a dime if things go pear shaped, so what is the point?