I also agree in some ways with young Kite.
He is quite correct that if he doesn't pay for the training there are literally thousands of others who will. I see SSTR as a very different thing to P2F however. Who the f*** else pays their employer? It's madness.
This is where the employers have all their pilots "over a barrel". Or certainly bent over in some ways.....
Until this stops, ts & cs will newer improve. You don't see surgeons fighting each other to pay for their training like this. Or dentists or doctors......
I fear for the young guns Kite's age. Is this how their career will be? 40 years of this? I doubt many his age will see it through to retirement.