Why Photoshop is not Ruining Landscape Photography

In nearly all matters related to art, what is most important is your opinion,
not the opinion of others who, because of the nature of art,
 are unlikely to have the same vision as you.
Alain Briot
1- Introduction
An essay I read recently generated some reflections on the subject of photo manipulation. This is not a new subject for me.  I have written previously about it, notably in the essay titled Just Say Yes which was published in 2006 and which you can read at this link: Just Say Yes
Even though the matter of digital manipulation has now been put to rest to a large extent, it still surfaces from time to time, and such is the case in this instance.  Here is the link to the essay that I am referring to :
Why Photoshop is ruining landscape photography
Notice how the title this essay compares to the title of my essay.  My title is of course purposefully chosen to contrast with the preposterous statement of this other essay.  I could have simply titled my essay ‘Not!’ but I preferred to...