FWIW, I love HAProxy but hate SQL (for the exact reasons the OC suggests). It turns the simple into soup and makes bugs more likely. Every single non-trivial usage of it I've seen in the wild has been a ball of spaghetti. I bought the learning curve argument for a long time until I finally realized: no, SQL is a victim of its own success. It's popular because it's popular, not because it's a superior language. That popularity has encouraged a gambling addict level of doubling down that continues to gaslight less-experienced developers into believing it's "the way."

You're right that it isn't going away, but when it does, I'll be the first to dance on its grave.