There is a in depth discussion about the block size limit right now and all focus on its impact IF implemented, but in case of a hard fork, how merchant will behave - merchants who do not care philosophies but their bottom line?

In the event of a hard fork, and in the phase that there is no clear winner , I think merchant would choose to have asking clients paid in both networks in the same amount, this is natural choice and no matter who wins, they still keep their bottom line. Unless transaction cost differential between the two become very extreme, isn't that people will who buy from merchant would agree to do so?

Then no matter how miners behave, how long term impact different fork could be, in the end, the one with the bottleneck would still dominate "bitcoin" properties, and in this way, new hard fork would in a way, not relevant (effetive)?

So as time goes by, the hard fork seems should not win the "classical" fork.