Regarding the "Treatment Treadmill" theory, the idea being proposed by some, is that once you are on the "Treatment Treadmill", you can never get off.
Can't really see that myself. Why can't you get off? It doesn't make sense because most people starting in bees start with bees that are treated, there just aren't many non treated bees for sale. I constantly see people complaining that they cannot get any. So, what's the difference wether they were bought treated, or you treated them yourself? None, far as I can see.
What I can see, is that using a product such as apistan that leaves permanent residue in the hive, could make it difficult to go treatment free later. But using a treatment such as oxalic acid that leaves no permanent residue in the hive, should have no effect later if somebody attempts to go treatment free later. So a person treating with a non residual chemical is not on any "Treadmill".
Which brings up another curious point. On this forum I see advise from treatment free folks, that the very worst way to start bees if you want to go treatment free, is to get a package. It's been stated that this is virtually doomed to failure. The way to go, apparently, is a nuc. Doesn't make sense though. A nuc, if that hive has ever in the past been treated with apistan or anything else residual, will have contaminated wax, making treatment free efforts a lot harder to succeed at. A package, has only bees, no residual chemicals. Surely a better way.
I think the term "Treatment Treadmill", has just been dreamt up as a meaningless buzzword, designed to pidgeonhole anybody who treats. There is no "Treatment Treadmill".