I think a lot of engineers are trying really hard to produce value for their employers, and that this level of discourse seems to do so but really doesn't. You

I think a lot of engineers are trying really hard to produce value for their employers, and that this level of discourse seems to do so but really doesn't. Your "stakeholders" really only care about their business making money. The truth is, they only care about technical debt/slop if it stops them from doing so. I'd advise you to stop worrying about things that don't really matter (technical debt vs slop), and find ways to provide real value.