Huh. This is a funny thread. Let me chime in.
But on top of that, miners are locked up into a Nash equilibrium of steady-state. It is not simple for them to leave the existing consensus unless they can be in a cartel and decide upon something.
And what exactly locks them up into this equilibrium?
Core was the central authority until a few years ago, writing the only code out there. So there was no game theory, it was a totally centralized system until recently. The only "game-theoretical" aspect that was in there for miners, was the signalling system, which was essentially Core taking the lead in the cartel formation. And ONLY miners voted on signalling. In other words, Core being the software monopolist, had total power over the rules.
So had Core released a version with a 1000 BTC block subsidy everyone would have followed along?
librium ; only a concerted action (formerly done by Core, the software monopolist and central decider of bitcoin) can move them all together to another equilibrium (change of protocol). Economic actors, individually, have everything to gain in following the miner's protocol. Their Nash equilibrium follows that of the miners. They are out of equilibrium if they decide upon anything else.
On one hand you propose that miners are kings and rulers, disparage the role of validating nodes but then suggest that the economic actors have a choice of whether or not to follow miners.
You realize that those statements both contradict each other?