Charlie:
First, your anti-kollel argument has nothing to do with the travesty of R”Z.
So your “On the contrary…” phrase makes no sense. The matter is not one of Kollel versus R”Z, as you frame it, but rather, as I mentioned in my post as well, much more foundational.
Also, I preemptively addressed your mixing up Chovevei Tzion and R”Z in my post above. R”Z is, in Rav Elchonon’s words, Religion and, liHavdil, A”Z together. Chovivei Tzion was not R”Z.
I could have also noted that one of the early proponents of Chovivei Tzion publicly retracted his support later on, when he saw just how correct were Rav Hirsch and others who were against even that as “no small aveirah”.