While I like and use (and even recommend) Archlinux, Debian’s track record is absolutely venerable. It’s a huge accomplishment to carry so many people and an ecosystem along with you over decades, doing all the unsexy tasks (the number of packages!) and serving as a stable platform in support of user freedom, on top of which others can build nimbler and sexier offerings. The Debian project deserves our utmost respect for its effectiveness in organizing a community around a goal.