empower themselves
Yes, that's what everyone here is trying to do, it seems, but system where people want to empower others is what I guess these changes are trying to achieve. That system will be inherently more valuable as it will attract way more people.
And to decide if the blockchain is flourishing, you should really be counting the number of people joining, using and leaving the platform.
But yes, there's always complaints as people come from different angles. What's good for someone will affect someone else negatively, and someone might think short term and the other long term. And not everyone wants the same and even if they did, they probably won't have the same info available and their thought processes will also differ greatly. Such is life.
But I agree, let's see how it pans out. Reverting back can be always done.