So you people are telling me that before HFT and Algo trading retail was always making money playing markets
If one cannot turn a big profit with $10k he will have the same results with $1m. Besides, it's all about percentage returns on your trading stake not the size of it.
Somehow this website has been infested with the idea that day trading is the only highly profitable form of trading when nothing can be further from the truth. Nothing ALWAYS makes money in the markets. That's why we have the term drawdowns.
The last I checked any price chart, prices still do move from point A to point B on different points on Y axis. So no markets are still tradable.
I agree with most of your sentiment, the 1M isn't right though. You are totally correct that in general the purpose of wall street is to transfer money from main street to wall street endex. Moving out timeframes to swing/position and choosing your battles with $10k and sensible MM is fine.
Successful daytrading is an anomaly. Off floor market making was unviable pre 90s and is unviable today. I remember several trading articles from way back that recommended swing trading as the best alternative. Increased turnover of money while avoiding competition with MMs...
Yep they ruined the game, but they created a new game, so go play the new game and stop crying over the old game, it's gone. Improvise Adapt and Overcome!