Some very valid points, the way I see it is if you optimise for people and you do it within the certain rules laid out by the search engines (namely Google) then you cant be penalised and you will receive the long term benefits. Sure white hat SEO isnt like a light switch where you switch it on and get ranked on page one, but in the long run the site will benefit more for longer and without the risk of being penalised. And if you marketing a business brand then I certainly think the color of your hat matters!