Calling those climbers "rich idiots" is unnecessary, and hugely inaccurate. Nearly all guided Everest expeditions require previous high-peak mountaineering experience to join the expedition, in places such as Aconcagua and Denali [1][2][3]. Technical familiarity with crampons, ice-axe, etc' is a must, and a high level of fitness is required.
People who join those expeditions are not "rich idiots" who think they are going on a cruise. They are amateur climbers with money, who are interested in broadening their climbing experience and achieving their personal goals.
Guiding companies provide a relatively safe opportunity for those climbers to achieve this, as this is something they cannot do by themselves.
I also wouldn't be so quick to pass moral judgments on things that happen 8000+ meters above sea level, in conditions of extreme fatigue, after several weeks of hiking/climbing. What you think you would do while sitting on a chair in front of your computer is not necessarily what you would've done were you actually there.
I recommend reading something like Into thin Air [4] to get a better perspective on what happens on those climbs.
[1] http://www.alpineascents.com/everest.asp [2] http://www.rmiguides.com/himalaya/everest/ [3] http://www.adventureconsultants.com/adventure/FAQEverest/ [4] http://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/038...
Amazing story, super inspirational, and lots of great history. My wife and I both loved this book and could not set it down.
Reason, finally have the motivation to loose weight and get fit, and am planing to do some climbing locally.
http://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/038... http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Summit-Everests-Controversial-Sea... http://www.amazon.com/No-Way-Down-Life-Death/dp/0061834793/r... http://www.amazon.com/Annapurna-First-Conquest-000-Meter-Pea... http://www.amazon.com/The-Will-Climb-Commitment-Annapurna/dp...