There is only one plausible/parsimonious explanation for such an utter lack of concern about their continual loss of credibility, which is that they are executing a 'thin wedge' strategy.

The Gavinistas would be happy with 1.001MB blocks, because such a hard fork would get their camel's nose into the tent.

The point isn't larger blocks will save Bitcoin from certain dooom, it's to undermine the socioeconomic majority's diverse/diffuse/defensible/resilient system.  It's about sending a message, that Bitcoin's engineering decisions can be controlled by manufacturing dissent.