I see this "they get what they deserve" mentality a lot lately, and I just wonder what you would propose pilots do to start their commercial careers? Right now there are very few real viable options out there to obtain the required experience to be hired by a major airline. Unless you can afford your own jet or have some serious connections at a corporate, you're going into the regionals to obtain experience. Sure, you can pay for a type rating, but what good is it if your logbook has zero experience in said type? Yes, there are many 135 companies out there, and good luck getting hired at a major with 3000 hrs PIC Caravan or Baron single-pilot time.

Everyone knows starting pay is horrendous and QOL can be worse, but you have to start somewhere and you have to know what you are getting into. How many doctors do you know whose first professional job was an 8-5 on weekdays only, making 100k? No, they were at the hospital all days of the week working 16+ hr shifts making 30k, but knowing that they were building towards something better. And just like doctors, most pilots got into their profession because they love what they do, not because it would make them rich. Sacrifice has to come before success.

Do I agree with the current state of the industry? No! Should some companies be put out of business for their shady practices? Yes! Does pay need to go up so that we make more than the garbage man? Absolutely! Does that mean that everyone should stop applying to the regionals until it does? Not necessarily.