Software as subscription service is not necessarily evil, it's just new. Adobe isn't the only one doing it, they're just the only one in this industry. It's actually an attractive arrangement for everyone concerned when you're dealing with an ever-evolving product that is used widely through the industry.
I hated the idea of being beholden to a company for $132/year (my cost after tax), but when I do the math it's a no-brainer. Assuming I have neither product now, it would take me 4-5 years of subscription service to cover the cost of LR5 & CS6 (assuming no Student/Teacher editions). In that time, Lightroom will go through at least 2, and possibly 3 upgrades ($75/ea), and Photoshop would go through at least 1 and possibly 2. In the meantime, I've gotten every single enhancement the moment it became available at no additional cost. The Photoshop CC enhancements over CS6 alone have me happy that I've switched over, though I might have been less inclined had I purchased the non-education version.
Yes, this assumes that the subscription price does not go up. For the typical amateur photographer this may seem like indentured servitude to the corporate giant, I get that. But for the serious semi-pro/pro photographer that relies on this for their business it's likely a welcomed change. No more worrying about how to budget for the next CS release. For a fixed cost they have access to the most up-to-date product as soon as it comes out, which gives them a competitive advantage over everyone who doesn't have it, and insures they're on equal footing with everyone else. It simplifies Adobe's distribution system as well. No more packaging, no more worrying about various versions, no more worrying about who is selling their product for how much. Everything is controlled and distributed from their end.
You can hate corporations, but they're not going away. And when you get over the anger you might actually realize the sense behind it. And if you don't, or if it really doesn't make sense given the way you use your tools, as was said, there are plenty of other options.