I believe your position only holds true if you assume that the applicant has no current employment, no other real options and no resources for between jobs. Th

I believe your position only holds true if you assume that the applicant has no current employment, no other real options and no resources for between jobs. The prospective employer has no power to force you to take the job or prevent you from seeking and accepting an offer elsewhere. It is certainly a mutual business process and should be approached as such. To approach it in an adversarial fashion just puts you at a disadvantage versus your true adversary: other applicants.