I don't think they removed the features to spite anybody. VX just isn't aimed at people who want to make a complicated game. The whole thing is based around simplicity. I don't think it was ever intended to one-up XP. I think it was more meant to be a brother sister thing, neither is really better than the other. They're just for different crowds I'd say.
VX is awesome for people like me who don't have a whack of time on our hands (college) but still want to make something.
If it isn't your thing then don't use it, but for the love of God don't act like EB screwed us all over.
There are a few problems with this line of thinking.
a) RMVX uses a newer, updated version of RGSS, whereas RMXP users are obviously stuck with the old version.
b) RMVX added stuff back in that just shouldn't have been taken out of RMXP - vehicles, simplified inn events (though RMVX simplifies them too much) etc
Additionally, I'm sorry, but there is just no excuse for some of the dumb choices they made. You can use the BUT ITS FOR CASUALS excuse (and for the record, I'm probably not even as active as a "casual" might be) but it won't change the fact they inexplicably removed stuff for no good reason that I know of. Why isn't there an ELSE handler for shops now? Why can't we at least have the option to edit tilesets further in the DB? It's little things like this that just make me scratch my head at their development practices on these makers. If you want to make it simple for people (like you I guess) who don't have a lot of time, sure, give them everything they need to make a game without any time spent on INTRICATE MAPPING and whatever, but WHY make more dedicated people weigh the pros and the cons of the new product instead of just including what you've released before plus the upgrades? Some people want RGSS2 AND three layers of mapping and there just isn't an option for them.
edit666: It's pretty funny that my most ARGUMENTATIVE posts in the Community Forum have been on the subject of fucking RPG Maker.