I think part of the reason that there is less debate occurring in the community, is because things are significantly more open now than they were in the past. Previously, it was very hard to get information or to find out what was happening behind closed doors. Now that information is more freely available, so there is much less to debate.

The direction of the project is also more clear now. Previously, it was hard to know where WordPress was going or what it's purpose was. These days, I think that direction is more obvious.