1) I don't agree, the first two bosses 100% don't require you to lean on PLD's to get through them. T4 would be an issue, but it would be a good issue, people would actually have to come up with another way to get past double Dreads (which my group doesn't do anyway), making this fight hard like it should be. Rather than everybody just staring and Twintania trying to work out Twisters and being the only real wall.
Pretty sure the first two turns would could be double WAR tanked, everybody would just have to do their job better (aka no fucking around with the slimes, stack swapping would have to be tighter, etc. like it should be.).
2) Besides T4, I do nothing. Nerfing the tanks would only make everyone else work harder to compensate. Actually engaging with the mechanics perhaps?
3) I agree, but I blame SE for not releasing CT (or pushing release back a bit) like they should've. Though talented or coordinated groups would still make progress without CT loot. Considering the circumstances though, this would be I assume their best reason for buffing WARs over nerfing PLDs so as to not destroy long term interest in their game.
4) They are socially expensive, of that there is no doubt.
Morello (LoL lead dev) did say something profoundly wise for a dev. Sometimes players just don't know what they want, you have to find the times when the player base is right and wrong. Appease them when they're correct, paying lip service and when they're wrong, explain why and let them get over it (paraphrasing :P). Seriously, the only reason people hate nerfs if because their 'feels' get damaged, even when they're being brought down to a comparatively similar level.
There are more frames of reference than another class that does the same role. And if they take a stance of always buffing over nerfing (not saying this will be the case), they're committing to power-creep which will only make designing encounters in the future harder for them.
Essentially, the average player almost assuredly lacks the foresight/ability to make good game changes. Because they can't see past their own gaming experience. I think these forums demonstrate this concept beyond any reasonable doubt.
I'm not saying you personally agree or with the points you made, merely giving you a sample of why those points shouldn't be used to hold nerfing hostage.
Uhmmmmmm that goes completely contrary to what my healers tell me. Pretty sure if you're doing slimes properly, one Cad is kind of a joke (yes I know he gets a determ de-buff on split).