There isn't really a right answer to these arguments. Yes, there are ways to MS without paying any fees at all. You can argue what the "true value" of points are until you are blue in the face. The answer to that is different for every person.
IMO, doing half your MS with points and half with a 2% card to offset the fees is very flawed as well. If you value the points you earn greater than the 2%, you should just churn the points card. If you feel the points are worth less than what you get with a 2% card, you should just churn the 2% card.