I think the idea of getting pilots to fund their own ratings is wrong also but I am sure that there are lots of pilots who paid the dollars and got the job from it and moved on without regrets. Airlines are just big corporations, training costs are high and pilots can be replaced easily enough as so many are out there fighting for that jet job. Many are so desperate to get into the industry that they pay for the rating on the bet that it will get them into a cockpit. I think it's a product of the new low cost mentality that all airlines are adopting. If they can save any money anywhere, they take it. I would describe it as bordering on exploitation of employees.
What if you are highly motivated and fit, have the basic quals and simply can not afford to fork out for the type rating? Potentially you have lost a lot of job prospects and I don't think that is fair.
Doesn't seem to stop pilots from parting with their money but like lots of other things in the industry, it's wrong and it's a trend that is going to be here for a long time to come.