The parent comment is not an empty accusation, but a truth known to everyone in academia. The publishers extort huge profit margins from libraries and universities without providing any useful service. See http://thecostofknowledge.com and the articles linked from it for more information.
That's not what the OP said though. I am in academia and most of my colleagues would agree with you about publishers. That's why most of us publish pre-prints on our websites, so that everyone can access our work. We can debate the business model but the OP is saying it produces inept research without really supporting that statement.
