AFAIC, as long as there are no exclusionary barriers for new entrants to participate, then non-mining validation is exactly as decentralized as it need be. More such 'decentralization' is a red herring that serves no useful purpose. I realize this is a controversial perspective, but it is the one I hold.
Controversial might be a bit of an understatement because I doubt that you are making such proclamations even genuinely, but it seems to be your flavor of the month distraction
Nonsense. I've been consistent on the above point whenever consideration of such has entered the discussion.