I wouldn't say that a PPL is a luxury or a privilege, a PPL is a licence to learn, and should be held with a great deal of humility. Anyone who thinks that they somehow have received superior training is an accident waiting to happen.
Flight training should be as comprehensive as it needs to be, and I agree corners should not be cut. So can someone please tell me - if I choose to fly 45 hours over 6 weeks instead of 45 hours over 12 months - what corners are being cut??