Because previously you had to be blessed to get a bluecheck, now you just have to pay. Way more people have the means to pay than were blessed.
But the "blessed" keep their unique status with the "secondary tag." Everybody knows that's the checkmark.
If you look at any politician account they now have a small flag and "official" below their name. 2 tiers have become 3.
Reposting your comment doesn't make it any more true.
Twitter is currently free.
This proposed subscription prioritizes content based on who can/decides to pay $8 a month.
How exactly is this leveling the playing field?
You already said that. Leveling the playfield would be having no distinguishing marks at all.
The 2nd comment above pretty much debunks that IMO. If you're paying money and given more visibility to your comments vs. non-paying users, this does the exact opposite.
It levels a few people and covers the rest of the field with potholes.