1) I think people are very justifiably angry at how the two major grading companies (and to a lesser extent the smaller companies) handled the flooding of cards that came in, and the fact that BGS basically shut down and PSA is putting so much effort into grading new submissions at the expense of clearing their backlog has led to backlash there. Grading is important though, because it limits the ability for a buyer to return the item because they are paying for a third-party verification. I think the growing popularity of SGC is a response to this backlash.
2) It does appear that grading standards have tightened.
3) I would imagine anyone who grades 2022 Heritage is lighting money on fire.
4) I think there is a lot of Venn diagram crossover between serious card collectors and anal retentiveness, and having cards stored uniformly fits for both of those. I think there will always be a market for a tag (whether or not it's respected or not) that says a card is what it is and the condition is what it says it is. It helps cards be more moveable in this day and age of easy returns.
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