I think you're engaging in a logical fallacy. Using a "GUI" isn't "one true way" as there are a near infinite amount of ways to structure a GUI.
Command line tools often use graphics to display their results and GUI tools often show their results in textual form so the main difference between a command line interface and a GUI interface is how to provide input. With a GUI I have to click in the right place to make actions happen. This puts more onus on the developer to make sure everything is where it is expected. With a command line tool I have to read a document or help output about how to use it and memorize this information if I wish to be efficient.
I'm not saying there should be no command line. It's simply my view that the command line should be treated like XML: not for human consumption. I think this would also potentially make command line tools even better at providing an interface for scripting tools if this was the only expectation placed on them.
Command line tools often use graphics to display their results and GUI tools often show their results in textual form so the main difference between a command line interface and a GUI interface is how to provide input. With a GUI I have to click in the right place to make actions happen. This puts more onus on the developer to make sure everything is where it is expected. With a command line tool I have to read a document or help output about how to use it and memorize this information if I wish to be efficient.
I'm not saying there should be no command line. It's simply my view that the command line should be treated like XML: not for human consumption. I think this would also potentially make command line tools even better at providing an interface for scripting tools if this was the only expectation placed on them.