“the overwhelming majority of whom stayed frei or weren’t reached by shluchim. Putting leather boxes on clueless people with the halachik status of goyim or captured babies does little to bring the geulah, I’m sorry.”
I’m sorry to inform you, there are HUNDREDS if not THOUSANDS of stories from baalei teshuva who became frum from putting on tefillin once, and there are even stories of people who just noticed lubavitchers putting tefillin on yidden, and by that they got inspired and that started their journey home.
I think if you want the video titled “The Tefillin Campaign” from chabad.org your whole perspective will change a lot. I can understand your view, but I also understand tha view is comign from somebody who is igorant in things regarding the Rebbe.