When a protocol has undefined corner cases and the reference implementation is almighty, your theory faces reality: A gang of devs plus a gang of miners, decide what is a change that passes, like the taproot bloat loophole, or the op filter drop, and what does not, like bip110. Both gangs are easily coopted by the State, so we are at square one again.

Miners seem to be in charge now. What does it mean for "decentralization" and "permissionless"?