I understand the distributed ledger, cryptographic signatures, proof of work to add a block to the blockchain, relay vs. consensus, difficulty adjustment, and block rewards. What am I missing?

Both sides accuse the other of running nodes on cloud servers.

I just refuse to relay pictures of children getting fucked by grown men all around the world. I can’t stop you from doing it. But, I’m not going to be the reason that shit ends up on the blockchain.