I specifically try to hire TAs who struggled in my classes and demonstrated that they increased their competency through the semester. A student who got a C on the first exam but an A on the final and a B+ average makes a much better TA than one who got As on every assignment. They are able to empathize with the kinds of students who come to see them during office hours.

Sure, but thats like saying "If I work for a company and get a poor performance rating, I won't get promoted". Just go do something else.

Even if you want to learn, its not like academia is the gatekeeper to learning.

So a professor should make that decision on behalf of an honest student while giving the cheaters a better shot? Give me a break.

Also, learning isn’t always the end goal. Maybe you want to be a professor and teach, or maybe you want to do academic research.