"I’ve yet to hear a strong argument on why Ethereum Classic should exist but I’d like to hear one if it's out there."

Immutability. A simple word, but yet so powerful. While ETH is out looking to partner with biggest bank and favor the winners, ETC stays true to the core philosophy. Once again ETH favored another winner by integrating coinbase in the latest mist update without consolidating with other providers. It's a strange behavior for a non-profit foundation. Ethereum Classic is the original chain and got all the right in the world to exist. Playing god, saying what's to live and what's die is a dangerous game, and similar to the special interest game the Ethereum foundation is currently playing.