> The core principle of computer-science is that we need to live with legacy, not abandon it.
I feel like the author misunderstands what a "core principle" is. This here is (at most) a bitter lesson learned from several decades of experience. It's not a principle, it's at best a conclusion following multiple stories of getting rid of legacy systems, but even as that this is highly dubious.
I wouldn't even say it's the core principle of software engineering. It's not really a "principle" anyway: legacy is just a reality that we have to deal with.
And a perfectly valid way of dealing with it might be to throw it away and rewrite it. That's not a choice to be taken lightly, to be sure, but it's complete nonsense for the article author to suggest it isn't an option.
I feel like the author misunderstands what a "core principle" is. This here is (at most) a bitter lesson learned from several decades of experience. It's not a principle, it's at best a conclusion following multiple stories of getting rid of legacy systems, but even as that this is highly dubious.