I just spit my drink through my nose seeing that someone actually feels the need to defend cookie banners, lol. You have a fair point on how the inline ads themselves are trash, but I wouldn’t choose one over the other—I’d have neither of them.
I would prefer that cookies and tracking didn't exist, but given that they do I like having the option to opt out of them when I first visit a website.
I don't know about your experience (individual web footprints and all), but the banners I see mostly aren't really asking for permission. They're telling you that they use cookies, that by using their website you consent, and the "accept all" button just notes your consent and makes the banner go away. Not all sites with banners work this way, but it seems quite common to me.