smells centralization...

Nope. Just administration of the guarantee (the backing). Everything else is decentralized. The token still trades without interference from a central authority. But unlike bitcoin which has nothing backing it, Tether will have a pot of cash stashed away (with an administrator - hopefully trusted.) The admin won't be able to manipulate the token. The high level of auditing will assure the backing is well cared for.
Are you retarded? "Nope"? The Dollar is just as decentralized as you proclaim this to be. The primary thing distinguishing this apart from bitcoin is completely centralized and you are claiming it's not? How do you do these mental gymnastics?