RE: What the fuck do witnesses do?

That doubt, political or not, is because we (human beings behind witnesses) usually have multiple roles here. For example a witness can also be a blogger, can be a developer, and can (should!) be also a stakeholder.
It’s really strange to trust a witness who doesn’t have skin in the game and could jump ship the very next day.
In the end, witnesses are here to serve Hive and its users - doing what’s best for the platform, as long as it aligns with what the users believe. Otherwise, unlike politicians in our countries, witnesses can be “fired” within minutes.