What a shame this otherwise useful thread has degenerated into such worthless tripe - helped massively by Always Moving. Along with his ill-informed opinions, he has now slumped into the gutter with highly objectionable rants about recently deceased persons. Shame on you AM.
As for the repeated cry by Always Moving, ithinkso and others that everyone should stop paying for type ratings en-mass, the situation is rather similar to that of rubber-necking on the motorway. Everybody wishes to blame the car just in front of them for slowing down, yet they are foced to do exactly the same. The fact is that you can never find the original culprit who started the problem, yet the effects are every bit in evidence. Worse, there is little you can do to 'correct the wrongs' without considerable harm to yourself.
Stating that everyone should immediately stop paying for type ratings is as purile as saying that nobody should ever slow down at the site of an accident, whether or not the car in front does. Following that dictat exactly will inevitably lead to self made difficulties, whether driving past an accident scene or pursuing a career in aviation. Unpalatable, but an almost inevitable fact of modern life.
Your sphere of concern is often broader than your sphere of influence. Have the guts to change what you can, the fortitude to accept what you can't, and the wisdom to be able to distinguish between the two.