"It is your inability to finance a negative progression which will kill"

Doesn't really matter if you don't have the edge. Either variance busts you quickly or the house edge gets you in the longrun. A negative progression creates huge turnover so it is quite reasonable that someone can lose it to just the house edge (ie not because of variance).

Progressions are silly anyway because even if you actually had an advantage you are still overbetting (unless you are heavily bankrolled)