Is PoS on-chain governance?

A common question is that PoS is equivalent to the "fiat system" we were originally trying to get rid of.

What they mean is that whoever has the capital has the power.

This is a frustratingly false position, and many of those who often support it may be spreading it maliciously to discredit any consensus mechanism other than Bitcoin.

The role of an ETH validator is exactly the same as that of a PoW miner. This is a 1:1 comparison.

ETH holders do not have the governance rights of Ethereum. Like Bitcoin, this power is held by non-validating node operators, the "community".

Ironically, these camps advertise PoS as a scheme to “make the rich richer,” when the indisputable fact is that PoW mining facilities lead to higher returns on investment for wealthier capital.