I take issue with this specific stipulation that — even with clear and upfront user consent — a business simply cannot operate in ways that are A) not opposed to the safety or health of their users and B) potentially necessary to succeed in the markets in which they participate.
If you believe the only way they should be able to do that is to become a digital hermit, then you don't really believe that.
"When you say “no thanks”, that’s a user exercising control over their data, and is an action which necessarily involves no governmental body."
What about Facebook's shadow profiles?
"a business simply cannot operate in ways that are A) not opposed to the safety or health of their users"
There is nothing about the GDPR that opposes this. Not a one.
"B) potentially necessary to succeed in the markets in which they participate."
This most assuredly is not part of the GDPR. If the only reason your business has a chance of succeeding is by ignoring user privacy and ignoring the safety of user data, your business does not deserve to succeed.
I've been cordial to this point, but if cordiality isn't there on both sides, there's no point.
Turn it around; why should Facebook be allowed to have "take it or leave it" terms? Why should we as a society allow that? And don't just say, "It's their business;" I don't find that to be a compelling reason. Why should users not have the control over their data that the GDPR brings?