What Rabbi Blau perceptively calls Daas Mada I call Presentism- the belief that the present must embody the truth. "Yes, humanity failed to get it right in 1718 or 1918, but in 2018 we have finally arrived. Now we understand science and ethics and religion." The reality is that society in 2118 and 2218 will look back at the present as an unfortunate time when people just didn't get it, as we we do to our predecessors. The moral is to have some humility about our place in the universe and not jump on the latest bandwagon with uncritical enthusiasm. We should also increase our reverence for Torah, which has lasted thousands of years and, last I checked, is still a bestseller.
That said, I'd prefer that Rabbi Blau not have trashed the term Daas Torah, and for a more nuanced treatment of the subject I recommend the writings of Rav Lichtenstein. I assume Rabbi Blau would agree that the Torah itself possesses Daas Torah i.e. the Divine blueprint of the universe has wisdom bearing on all aspects of life, far beyond the confines of pask din. I agree with Rabbi Blau that not all Gedolim at all times have access to this wisdom. But sometimes they do, and sometimes the questioner does not, and sometimes the questioner ought to follow a sage even if he he doesn't like it. The polarity of authority- autonomy is a complex topic beyond the scope here, and it's best if our language reflects that complexity.
