Blindly running client side code (within a very carefully designed sandbox) is necessary for the modern web to operate, and people like the modern web.

We aren't going back to a page refresh every time you want to update something any time soon

Are you sure people like the modern web? It's increasingly used as a weapon against them. I don't know anybody under 20 who likes the modern web. As for the others, I think its more about nostalgia.