i did address it. heck i went back and emboldened underlined it to show where your
" You know as well as I that there is no 2nd and 3rd place if you fork the Bitcoin network to a different protocol, so it's a zero sum game. "
falls apart

its not a game of 1 winner. its a game of diverse teams that should discuss and debate what needs to change and come to a majority compromise they are all happy with. this prevents a dictatorship and instead keeps the decentralized CONSENSUS, which has been rule one of bitcoins ethos

trying to claim bitcoin has always been a dictatorship and has never had consensus is your failing. but i can see why you try to assume it.. because you want a dictatorship

ill say it one more time CONSENSUS should never be baited and switched to dictatorship. otherwise bitcoin is no better than fiat