No, I believe your statement that "ghost feeding is a myth" essentially states that it should not be done, or is pointless at best, which we just established is not true.
As for filtering capacity:
As for filtering capacity:
Yes, there is still active filtering, but a newly established tank cannot absorb a nutrient spike anywhere near as well as a healthy established system, which you yourself point out that we no longer have.To lose them makes our tanks just like the ones running freshly cycled dry rock minus the benthics, still an active filter