If ARS didn't have its webmasters they wouldn't make ANYTHING. They know that and YOU know it as well. If it wasn't an urgent thing, ARS would never have made these changes.
I don't know about YOUR logic, but I'd rather make $25 than $.25, which is what so many were making with FMAO.
I'm not saying that ARS is ONLY looking out for webmasters. If they were then they'd go out of business PDQ, but they have to make the choices that they feel will help keep their valuable webmasters while still ensuring their profitability. They don't do ANYONE any good if they're out of business.