You would pay your doctor for a checkup, but you wouldn’t pay someone who is sitting and learning for maintaining the world around you?
No, because the men surrounding me are also learning and maintaining the world around us.
As to the Yeshivas in Europe – they were a small percentage of the population. It was affordable for towns to donate or sponsor 1-2 of their bochurim. It wasn’t enmasse the way it is today.
I can’t speak about E”Y too much (I don’t understand the system there), but I do know that in the US, most of Lakewood is living off of social services. Its not a sacrifice when your rent, food and medical insurance is covered and your wife earns a low salary to cover everything else.
I’ve basically stopped donating my money to organizations that perpetuate lifestyles that need charity.
How do you plan to pay for your daughters apartment?