Very little of the Ethereum angst is relatable for me.

But if I were to play devil's advocate, I'd see the main problem as follows:

i) Ethereum is more or less unforkable today. It's arguable the forkability as escape hatch thesis never works in practice anyway, but I think today we can conclusively say it's impossible to fork Ethereum, due to the mindshare, the rollup structure, the stablecoins, and so on.

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ii) any system that grows big enough ends up captured by mercenary interests and loose associations of psychopaths. Delaying this capture requires constant vigilance, tireless defense. Until Ethereum ossifies, we're only as resilient as the ability of Vitalik to come in fourth quarter and deliver a couple clutch shots to rectify course.

Nobody else has enough influence. It's also possible nobody else is as well aligned and capable, even if they had influence.

It's crucial to stay vigilant and defend against external interests to ensure the sustainability of Ethereum. Vitalik's influence and capabilities play a significant role in steering the course, but collective effort is essential to prevent capture by mercenary interests. Let's continue to prioritize the platform's integrity and resist any potential threats to its decentralized nature.