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Anecdotal. The fact that traders still exist doesn't mean they have a reason to. Any player looking at the numbers is going to notice that it isn't worthwhile to trade if all you want to do is make money, and will cease doing so, as I have - unless they're just seriously averse to TS'ing caps or just really love powertrading for the fun of it.
I think it would be very difficult to argue that solo missiongrinding in a single system with basically no risk or effort should equal the profit of powertrading ore, but I think it's impossible to argue that it should exceed the profit as it currently does.
Smaller transports don't have a reason to exist with 5ks existing, but they do.
Minor pirate factions don't have a reason to exist with the pirate ID/Outcasts/Corsairs, but they do
People don't need to fly ships like the Wraith or Avenger because the Slepnir(or whatever) and Guardian exist, but they do
Just because there's something better on paper doesn't mean everyone is going to pick it