Benefits for Bitcoin users
Counterparty provides us (Bitcoins users) the ability issue shares, pay dividends and trade on a distributed exchange using BTC (without the need for XCP). This is a valuable functionality for all Bitcoin users and increases Bitcoin's value proposition. It is not in the best interest of Bitcoin users to shutdown this valuable functionality. Especially when there are competitors like - - Ethereum, Nxt, Protoshares, eMunie whom will have asset trading platforms built into their blockchain.
Unfortunately, it sounds like the Counterparty team is not interested in being a teamplayer and working with Bitcoin development, and giving Bitcoin no choice but to activate self-defences.
Please distinguish between Counterparty "team" members (there are only two developers) and the supporters, fans, and investors (the rest of us) who are certainly feeling frustrated and confused, and can't always make sense of what seem like arbitrary rules.
It will not help move this dialogue forward if arguments and observations are personalized, and that is the case for people on all sides of this discussion. All of us want alternatives to the centralized, fiat currency systems that have profound social and economic consequences for all of us. If we can all just focus on solving the problem that we have, then we can help XCP, and, by extension, BTC, move toward achieving the social and political goals that are central to its founding and implementation.