I agree totally with you and I know we've not always seen eye to eye in the past but I'll explain below.
It's safe to say that almost all in the hobby have started out seen a fish at an LFS and been given bad advise. Good post.
I think this is a great site the promotes the great issue of fish welfare in captivity, the problem is where do you draw the line.
LFS are out to make money lets not kid ourselves here, it's a business and if the 'little cute fish' makes them X% profit then 9-10 times they are going to take it.
I've experienced both sides in one conversation that outlines this:
I recently bought a new giant gourami, and was asked on purchase 'what is the size of your tank', followed by 'I'm sorry I had to ask but some people don't understand the size they get'. Minutes later in the conversation we asked for some smaller fish for other tanks and he joked 'how about a TSN?' to which he went on to 'they are really good sellers at small size', so I returned with 'I wonder where they all go when they get too big' and was told 'I've often wondered that too'.
Both sides in one story, there is fish welfare there but at the end of the line is a profit.
Education is the key and this is something that this site is great at, post a redtail cat in a 55 and get shot down in flames, and rightly so, but on the other hand the store that is selling them is also to blame for this. I've seen the hugest tank with the most common missold monsters in it and a public aquarium near myself and used to have a giga in there and it out grew that tank, a tank that is fully stocked with fully grown pacu, redtail cats etc. all that can be bought at a local LFS. I can count on one hand the number of tanks on here that can fully cope with fish of this size, yet every day I see threads like 'my new pacu' or 'RTC growing club' and it is sad to see.
Every time I walk into an LFS and see a RTC for sale I think 'what are you doing' on the other hand there might be a buyer looking for one with a tank that CAN house such a beast and think 'if it was me I'd want it for sale'.
It's a double edge sword.
Who can honestly say that they provide a perfect environment for there fish that totally mimics the wild, neon tetra keepers?, guppy hordes?. I can't, I just do the best for the fish I have. Monster or not.
Before I get shot down in flames, I'm always looking to upgrade everything when the is right.
Happy fish keeping everyone.