VT, most eloquent, but rather missing the point.
The debate if you remember was on the virtues of working for little or no reward IN ORDER TO gain greater reward
The dynamic is simple: work free now = reduced rewards in future, get paid now (or have patience til the right job comes up) = higher rewards in future.
Obviously there are many airlines prepared to facilitate your amateur aviating, unfortunately this puts said airlines at a cost advantage. The logical, but regrettable, conclusion is that airlines who employ staff who want to WORK (not play, that's you remember) for a living are forced to reduce T&C's to compete.
Now you may be happy to be a gentleman aviator, but you're taking a position that would otherwise be filled by someone who would rather get paid for their labours. Seeing as most airlines couldn't give a toss about experience in the right seat, your arguments about unpaid experience gaining paid work (a la law etc, where experience counts) is total garbage.
Now comes the bleating about you deserving it as much as anyone else, so let's be blunt. If you are prepared to fulfil a position that undercuts those, particularly more experienced, who would rather get paid a proper salary for doing the job, and have earned the right to such a salary, then no, you don't deserve it as much. Those who have gained experience and worked hard for it don't deserve to see their T&C's go down the swannee because you believe you have a god-given right to a jet. 99% of pilots did not screw their colleagues to get said experience.
If you want to enter into a battle of wits
Anymore for anymore.....
Hmmm, gotta lose the attitude buddy, no-one likes a drill sergeant in the flight deck.