Debian could just take RHEL's fork of Python 2. Why don't they do that?
* Everybody knows they should have moved to Python 3 for over three major versions of Debian stable.
* Debian is not committed to keep legacy software running in perpituity in new versions.
* For Debian Buster they have already committed to supporting Python 2 until at least 2022 - and probably 2024 for LTS. They're already putting in the commitment!
* The next version of Debian stable will probably be released mid 2021 - long after Python 2's EOL of Jan 1.
* RHEL's Python 2 support amounts to life support at best.
* Keeping around legacy software takes precious volunteer time - which is all Debian has.
This is the entire point of a stable distro. To pick some software, stabilize it a specific api, and keep it supported. Upstream need-not support that specific version of a release, for reference, see the kernel.
I don't care what Debian does at this point, too old for practical use.
> should support software they aren't interested in.
You mean like pestering all the other package maintainers to support python3 when they're not interested in doing that? That goes both ways. Nobody wanted python3, expect PSF. This is the continued backlash.