I normally agree with you bushy, but I think you're talking semantics. It's truely been a long time since anything like what you mentioned has existed in GA. No-one paid for any of my GA training, and the only reason some airlines require self funded endorsements is because they can still get away with it!
As for any of these operators learning anything from history, well I've yet to see it. A bunch of reactionary catch-up merchants the lot of them.