The accepted answer from a Bitcoin researcher sums up the merge problem pretty well; "As for the merge, this is still being discussed and we do not have a good contingency plan."
Okay.
Okay.
Bitcoin needs an internet connection to work properly. If you don't have a functional internet connection then you don't get functional Bitcoin either, sucks to be you.
That question is probably best put the person that wrote the statement and mentioned that it was under discussion: Christian Decker. He is a published block chain researcher and may have a good answer for you.
https://arxiv.org/abs/1412.7935 http://www.tik.ee.ethz.ch/file/49318d3f56c1d525aabf7fda78b23... http://www.tik.ee.ethz.ch/file/7e4a7f3f2991784786037285f4876... http://www.tik.ee.ethz.ch/file/848064fa2e80f88a57aef43d7d595...
What can you cite that demonstrates any change in the merge situation during the last 4 years?