YY > Those who listened to the Gedolim (both Agudah-type and outright anti-Zionist) did better in Yiddishkeit in the long run than those who did not (i.e. Mizrachi),
putting aside that you don’t consider others gedolim and historical errors of preventing Yidden leaving Eastern Europe for EY and US, this is indeed a fundamental question – which derech is better for Yiddishkeit. I don’t have an answer here. And I will talk more on US side that I know better but prob similar applies in Israel. On one hand, Aguda approach was able to isolate and save from assimilation a lot of Yidden and many had large families in several generations. Those who were more exposed to non-Jewish world have higher assimilation rates and smaller families. But notice that both EY and US leaders considered these measures as emergency (midbar, Chazon Ish, breaking ribs while doing CPR R Kotler) – and now these communities normalized this emergency method, leading to three generations of Yidden with broken ribs wandering about the desert – well beyond the forty years of Mitzrayim. Now, some people are self-correcting. Going to colleges (often online diploma mills or Landers). Notice people who used to say “we live near Lakewood” switching to “we live in Toms River”. But mostly, there is a large community that focuses on self-preservation rather than Emes of Torah – and redefines what “emes” is according to their limited understanding. I don’t think this is what Hashem expects from Jews.