block size gradually increasing over time (which everyone can agree on),
No. A lot of people really do not want the network to grow. Some people just want to drag others down, even at personal expense.
Also whereforeartthou, mempool backlog? Oh that's right, it only happens when someone is specifically and nefariously spamming the network.
Fuck you. You don't get to decide who can send what. That's one of the key selling points, no middlemen.