They are shitcoins, but a fiat pegged shitcoin moving on top of free & open bitcoin infrastructure is far better than a CBDC that uses govt controlled & censored infrastructure. If poor normies who just want to move dollars (& don't care about Bitcoin) end up dependent on tether moved as a LN token (whether they know it or not), then when they finally become smart enough to understand that they might actually need some Bitcoin, they are only a click away.

CBDC holders will eventually be cut off & will only be able to buy things from politically approved corps.

Bitcoin is likely to still be too volatile & too big a leap for most people before CBDCs are rolled out. Tether is the same sort of shit they are used to on a more open & more efficient network. Prices are like a language, adoption of a new one is slow & difficult. Tether is a mild improvement that may prevent or undermine a dramatic negative shift to CBDCs.