You can't even read my relatively short post correctly. I said, "[funded MA programs] are easy to get in [compared to getting into funded Ph.D. programs], and "an unfunded MA doesn't look good when you apply to PhD programs [compared to students with a funded MA, with all other things being equal]."
You say, "many people do a pay-your-way MA and go on to be very successful," and what does that mean "very successful"? Get into top programs? That's probably less than 1% of the entire unfunded MAs every year, although I admit Buffalo is an exception. FYI, Chicago's Ph.D. program hasn't admitted anyone from their MAPH program for years. In fact I haven't heard of anyone in their MAPH program getting into their Ph.D. program.
