I don't see the fact that 5 pools control which version of the software is used as a strawman argument. It is what it is. In the case of steem 1% of the accounts control the witness list...that is also a fact.

As it stands right now I don't see ethereum as being 1000% more decentralized than steem. Sure hypothetically the mining rig operators could switch pools but they don't the same way that other big stakeholders in steem don't vote for witnesses to fork the chain.

As far as Dan or Ned crashing the price I just don't see it happening (It would be more in their interest to sell gradually over time). While we are at it I would not include Dan and Ned in the same conversation (it's no secret that they don't see eye to eye since Dan split from Steemit Inc.)