Though I disagree that 8MB blocks are too large (1MB blocks would have been doable even when bitcoin was launched in 2009) I see the point for centralization.

But look at lightning network - as opposed to a blocksize increase (straightforward) lightning network is complex to code and understand. Who's controlling these payment channels? Centralization that changes the structural security of bitcoin's decentralized hashing system is more scary and risky in my opinion.