TOURIST - You are correct. I paid for my CPL/IR via the old self improver FI route. So, it was almost self financing, but I was poor for quite a long time!
However, when I got my first airline job I was BONDED for 3 years which I thought was entirely reasonable given the investment the airline made.
I think you have to draw a realistic line in the sand over what is acceptable to the majority and what starts to injure it.
If I want to be a lawyer, I would go to University for three years for my basic qualification for Law and incur about 50k in debts. Afterwards I would be looking for a job, albeit lowly paid, and from there my career would grow. I would not expect to pay another 50k to get legal work experience to help me on my way. Although, it has to be said that the 'unpaid internship' system which has developed in the UK in many areas is having a similar detrimental effect on graduate pay.
I am not passing judgement on those that PTF. I can, from experience, say that a few of those who are able to come via this route, get the majority a bad name. But, given that I can just about remember how desperate I was to fly for a living, I may well have PTF'd myself. It is also completely reasonable and provable that PTF and the immoral antics of some airlines have injured the T&C's of the profession.
You could, perhaps, argue that the destruction of the career structure progressing from GA(or RAF)/Turboprop/Jet, with everyone having to start in the right seat of an Big Shiny Jet, has also done us great harm.