>>1,2
There is a reasoned critique of the overuse of GUIs, specifically when it might be that a system of symbols, search, commands, and hot-keys would be more efficient. At the same time I don't think anyone can deny the utility of dynamic visualization (in many fields), and use of GUIs in programs which perform visual tasks. (e.g. paint, 3d modeling, and game design) The failure to resolve this contradiction seems to be at the root of the black and white thinking regarding this issue. I believe that TempleOS presents most of a compelling solution to the resolution of this contradiction in many domains. There is unfortunately a further issue though with GUI frameworks as they exist.
GUI frameworks as they exist are exceptionally static, with any configuration options being provided by the graces of the developer in a limited manner which is incompatible with other applications. The user is not given control over the user interface, but rather it is enforced on them from above in a way which is not cohesive or easily intuited from the rest of the interface of their computing system. If you for example contrast something like Morphic which allows for dynamic modification of the GUI at run-time in a cohesive way, and is extensible so that it can even dynamically modify OpenGL objects, Qt is simply incomparable.
Licensing is an issue which similar divides the Lisp community. Naggum for example was a stanch advocate that it's unrealistic to expect quality free software. Sussman by contrast was a founding member of the FSF and has been a life long advocate. I don't think the contradictions between our system of resource allocation, the quality of our products, and our freedom are likely to be resolvable in the domain of software. I think we're going to continue to see software degrade in quality, the closing or effective closing of the source code, along with the consolidation of software as we continue to pile up colossal broken abstractions on top of colossal broken abstraction. Qt is just an example of a broken society.