Also, it bears mentioning that, in Ezekiel's final story arc, JMS devoted a TWO-PAGE SEQUENCE to nothing but Ezekiel STARING AT THE READER and haranguing the reader with complaints about all the fan objections to his attempted retcons (on the third page, you find out Ezekiel is talking to Peter).
I saw it more as JMS trying to address the reader's complaints, and explain his reasoning. It wasn't like Ezekiel was saying Peter was stupid.
If Chuck Austen had written the exact same words, we wouldn't even be DEBATING this.
Well let's face it. JMS is a better writer. I also think fans were willing to cut him a little leeway and overlook some of his flaws, since he was the first writer on Amazing after Howard Mackie left, and it was the first time that title was good in several years.