I think most people don't understand the way mechanical advantage/assistance works, how much it actually helps a person do the ride as without it they would fail...
If it takes 100 watts of power to make it up a hill on a fixie, and you can make it up that hill on a fixie, it doesn't apply.
But if you can only put out 50watts continually to make it up that hill, you would not make it up that or any other hill requiring more than 50 watts continual effort, maybe even 100 watts (or more) for those hills.
Thus along came the 3 speed, but oh no that's not enough, then came the 10 speed, but oh no that's not enough, then came the 21 speed, but oh no that's not enough.... Finally along came the 27 speed and 99% of the people who wanted to do that hill could do it... Yay. My point is,
it's all "helping" to do something most people just cant do on their own...
Then along comes the E-Assist and it helps some more, but in a different way... Oh no say the purists, that's cheating, can't allow that, it takes away from what real touring is about, 100% human power...
Well I guess it does. But so does touring with a 27 speed compared to touring with a fixie, If you cant do it with a fixie I would suggest that the "real" old time touring people who did it with a fixie, with a "real" bicycle has been degraded to the point where it doesn't matter, everyone is cheating, whether it's a mechanical cheat, or a motor assist cheat.
As you can see there is different ways to cheat/get around things
where people just can't do it on their own, even tho they think they are doing it all on their own, they are not, they are only able to do it with the assistance of gears... and... I would wager 99% of the people touring just couldn't do it on a fixie, a "real" un-assisted bicycle, without the assistance of the mechanical advantage of the gearing "helping" them out.