I don't think he is defending it, I think he is correctly rationalising that this is the effect of devs and users buying into Apple's walled Garden. This is what devs and users caused by supporting the Google Apple duopoly. You bought in you play by their rules.
Personally I think devs should just pass the 30% to consumers or withdraw their apps. That is how you get leverage.
The Mafia didn't build things. It just came in and took over things others had built.
Apple built its app store. It built the iPhone. It got its users fair and square, by providing a product that users want. If you think that's the same as the Mafia, you have a very skewed view of business.
But they also prevent other stores from being built. And they prevent sideloading. It's their store or nothing. They created a marketplace and ban other marketplaces. wtf?
They do no such thing. They just prevent other stores from providing apps for their own product. Which they are within their rights to do, since it's their product.
Personally I think devs should just pass the 30% to consumers or withdraw their apps. That is how you get leverage.