I don't believe in "paying dues" at all, if you can perform at the required levels, are smart enough, can basically do what needs to be done and handle situations, you can fly in whatever position you like. That said, it USUALLY takes a good deal of experience to get there, and insurance companies/airlines want to make things as cheap and efficient as possible for themselves, hence the minimums. The point though is that not everyone can become a pilot. It requires money and a lot of hard work. It's not going to work for everyone, and it's not a profession that's "open to anyone who wants it". I'd like it to be that way, honestly, but you either pay your MONEY to get the required experience, which either means a lot of dollars for it, or time spent because you don't have the financial reserves. Either way, you pay to play and the people that end up here are hopefully the ones that have the ability and resources, whether a matter of what they physically had at the time or the amount of time they spent.