I think I disagree with your categorization.
Not that the criticisms of the article were inaccurate. They were fine and probably deserved.
But I don't think that Strasser's piece represents a sea change for the pay sites.
The pay sites have always erred on the side of optimism. The whole "sleeping giant" theme of a few years back is one example of how they sell frosty cold mugs of hope to the the reality starved.
Other than the the (well-deserved) online lynching of Steve Lavin, the sites have never taken a strong editorial stance in opposition to the party line. Strasser's now-cliched style is nothing more than an extreme example of what has always been.
YKMN
This should have been a comment to the original post. I'm just getting used to your site.