You make it sound like Lightning will be a standalone scaling solution; it won't be. Bitcoin will still need substantially larger blocks, Lightning only lessens that requirement. Opening channels still needs an on-chain transaction and they last for a finite period, generating a steady demand for on-chain transactions over time that still far exceeds the current capacity. Core is foolish for not increasing the block size now, and well beyond 2 MB, since Bitcoin will need at LEAST 100 MB blocks if it's to be mainstream adopted.
The other problem is that people are getting wrapped up in this "digital store of value" concept, when in reality every cryptocurrency could be treated as such, except others are also drastically superior as a medium of exchange. That's losing situation for Bitcoin, and if Core doesn't address their full blocks and high fees soon Bitcoin has nowhere to go but down.
Totally agree with you. Also with IOTA - which is feeless and way faster in transactions per second capacity - how will bitcoin in any modified form compete long term? It won't in my opinion. Usefulness, speed, reliability and cost are going to determine which crypto currency wins in the long haul. This is just my opinion and yes I own some IOTA coins too.