Dartagnan:
Who was naiive enough to believe that they could get rich in the US as a pilot, whether after two months or twenty years, unless they became very fortunate with real estate or another investment?
Airlines either negotiate pay rates based upon motivating their staff to work harder, for the long term, or pay only enough to "fill c0ckp1t seats", no matter how bad the turnover (loss of pilots) is. Many companies simply do not care.
This last method explains why not many pilots show up for class at the lowest-paying regionals etc.
Airlines are usually focused upon short-term or long-term goals, but often not both.