Perhaps you should read the thread then? TSA isn't "opening this up to everyone"; rather, they're letting US citizens apply, submit to a background check, pay a hefty fee, and visit a TSA office to provide their fingerprints. As others have pointed out, the number of people who will take advantage of the new rules who aren't already GE members is probably vanishingly small.

If you're worried that they're doing the bureaucratic equivalent of opening the velvet rope to all travelers, I hope this puts your mind at ease!