I'm guessing that this post was made to show contrast between what is truly "forced" and "not forced", with the goal to show that the last thing is not. But it's only fair to supply alternatives to the other points when applicable.
- Not forced. Someone could pay for your subscription, or you could get one of those lifetime subscription cards that Blizzard gives to friends and family.
- Not forced. You set that goal yourself. The game doesn't require you to have the best weapon. And by tomorrow, this will probably be reading "forced to do Heroic Council/Consorts for best fist weapon".
- Yes, currently. It didn't used to be so, and it's being changed. Aren't you thankful?
- See above.
- Professions? Hopefully you picked the right profession and the right class. Or picked the right server and either know someone or have a lot of money. Either way, it's not nearly enough on its own. The most upgrades you're looking at are: chest, hands and weapons/offhand. Maybe helm if you're an Engineer.
Normal and Heroic Raids? If you have a guild carrying you through raids for gear, what would you even need rep gear for?
LFR? Aside from the obvious facetious remark I could make about LFR not being about gear but seeing content, wouldn't this be a chicken and egg problem? Gotta run LFR to get the gear to run LFR. Besides, Blizzard said that they don't see LFR as being a gearing alternative for regular raiders. It is its own "game".
Now of course, all of this could be rendered moot after 5.2 comes out. I don't know if you can become eligible for LFR Throne of Thunder without having to do the same stuff as before.
Not this again. No one's forcing you to gear up, no one's forcing you to raid, no one's forcing you to log in, no one's forcing you to pay. No one probably forces you to do anything in your life if you see it that way, other than maybe the police.
But if the alternative is so ridiculous that it makes the game not fun anymore, what's the point of playing at all?