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It is. It's not going to replace Python, and if maintenance is the metric, then "rewrite it in rust" is not the right move. But I do think Rust will gain traction, be a round a long time, and slowly become a complement to existing C/C++ ecosystems through wrapping and binding.

I'm just not sure the other way will materialize. Until Rust can be used to feed back into C/C++ ecosystems and long-standing projects (like the linux kernel), it'll struggle to be the primary ecosystem / language for non-new (e.g., non-trivial) projects.

At this point Rust is not the prmary ecosystem for anything.

The important and exciting new things are written in C++, not Rust. Rust has no advantages over C++ once you know C++.

I find a lot more things that I like in rust over Cxx; I like the trait system over Cxx's whole virtual functions and interfaces. I like algebraic types and forced enumeration of cases, I like immutable by default without the need to write const everywhere, and I certainly prefer cargo over anything I have seen in Cxx ecosystem.
I agree that Rust isn't the primary ecosystem. But that's not a reason to dismiss Rust. If Rust could create components that can be incorporated into C/C++ systems, then we'd have a real contender for systems programming. The problem is Rust is strict, and it only goes one way, from C/C++ to Rust. That's the right first step!

Saying C++ is better than Rust "once you know it" doesn't make a lot of sense to me. No language is intrinsically better once mastered by a productive programmer.

Isn't this what the cxx project is aiming to do? https://github.com/dtolnay/cxx
This statement is wrong. Rust has many advantages over C++. Knowing c++ doesn’t make these advantages disappear. It’s like saying you know assembly language and can write 100% bug free code in assembly so C++ has no advantage over it.

Realistically, both languages have advantages and disadvantages.

I would counter then that it's impossible to ever "know C++" then given that even C++ experts write in memory-based security exploits from time to time.
> a very long essay / dissertation just to say 'I love rust'.

I think you nailed it.

After 14k words I think I've come to the TL;DR at the end: "I am irrationally effusive about Rust."
TL;DR: Author likes Rust. Rust exposed them to new things. The title is totally misleading and irrelevant.