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[...] the pre-existing understanding that the WMF do not replace
existing and perfectly adequate community agreed procedures for banning bad behaviour on our projects.
Unfortunately, there is ample evidence that the existing English Wikipedia community processes are not "perfectly adequate" for that purpose.
If the English Wikipedia's policies are not fit for purpose, or implementation of policy is incompetent, we need a much bigger discussion
Indeed. Unfortunately the tone of the discussion here and at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_... suggests that the requisite discussion is now less, not more, likely to happen or be productive.
Thrapostibongles