Tailscrape,
You put your views accross very forcibly and eloquently, and I respect you for that. In the interest of balance, I'd just like to mention that there is another view to self sponsored TR's. Speak to Mario at Astreaus for one.
Paying for TR's has always been around and my feeling is that it always will be. I know of a couple of people for whome it's opened doors, one in the mid 90's and another more recently. In both cases it was on a jet. There are many more that have gone the Streamline route too.
The whole licence issue has always been a complete gamble and at the end of the day it's all about making oneself more marketable. No one questions spending 3K on an MCC rating, 8K on an AQC via CTC, IR's, ATPL's etc etc, none of which makes any promise of employment.
What I'm trying to say is that I respect your view, but don't be over critical of those who have not been fortunate enough to have landed a job without a TR. Sure, TR's are no guarantee, but it might make you more marketable. It's just another gamble.
Splat