(They'll argue that this fee is required to keep the platform save which is obviously bullshit)

Apple sells hardware. They don't give away software for free, you (generally) need their hardware per their licensing agreements.

You have to pay Apple $99/year to develop software for their ecosystem.

I pay them for their hardware, I pay them to let me write software -- you want me to pay them when others use my software? What about when others view photos I take with my phone? Do they want a cut of that too?

How anyone can think Apple's stance here is reasonable is beyond me. I haven't paid Microsoft anything in over a decade, I wonder how they can afford to fund Windows development?