I don't think the gripe (or at least, my gripe) with brakeless is effectively articulated. Generally speaking, it's the "holier than thou" or "brakeless is the only answer" attitude that goes along with the purportedly zen-enducing decision that bothers me.

Though riding brakeless has forced some people to become more aware, more careful, and in general, more skillfull riders, it is not the only way to become a more aware commuter.

If I were to take a newly "enlightened" rider off of their brakeless bike and onto a fixed gear with a brake, their safety will have increased exponentially, regardless of the facilities available to them to slow down the bike; The "saftey net" of the brake is not innately mechanical, but rather entirely psychological.

One can come to the conclusion that it is necessary to be a more aware rider without needlessly increasing their stopping distance to damn near deadly levels. You can attain all of the skills by simply coming to the same realization that you're relying entirely on your brake instead of common sense, while leaving your damned brake on for emergencies.

It's called will-power. Remember, the thing that keeps you from giving in and buying a car and driving everywhere?