From discussions, in Israel, of people that I’ve heard about the subject. The Ashkenazim in favor of eating kitniyos is because they feel that it’s time to move past those takanas of certain segments of the population, to minimize division among the people and create more uniformity in Halacha and to end the Golus mentality in general.
It would take the Gedolim to change it for most of us to accept eating Kitniyos, but it really has nothing to do with political philosophy or any intent to cause harm, quite the contrary.
I have not seen this being an issue in Chutz La’Aretz. In Israel, it’s a little more complicated and much harder to shop for Pesach, though it is improving.