I think there's plenty of doubt that that's a good philosophy. ....Probably the electronics saves us from many other potential problems so the net result could very well be that the electronic engines are easier to deal w and more dependable than the old stuff most of us are running. Is the last airplane you flew on (not counting Marin's Beavers and the like) all mechanically controlled? I doubt it. The concept of an electronically controlled engines having the scary potential to leaving one engineless is more like the car mechanics of the 50s say'in radial tires would kill you. So I think there's plenty of doubt to that theory. Just say'in
As usual, I think Eric is right on the money here. And his car mechanic analogy is spot on. Done correctly, modern electronic engine controls are brilliant things, indeed. Efficient, reliable, simple (in that if they do create a problem you change a box and you're done), lightweight, and no moving parts.
Virtually every jetliner in production today has no, zero, zip nada physical connection between the power levers on the flight deck and the fuel controls on the engine itself. Why? Because electricicals running back and forth along a wire are a hell of a lot more reliable and maintenance-free than cables moving back and forth and flexing over hordes of sheaves and having rotating connections at each end attached to even more moving parts.
Like every new technology, electronic engine controls went through a developmental period during which they could be problematic. But people-- particularly engineers--- don't just sit around and accept a problem as "that's just the way it is." They figure out how to fix it. And they've been "fixing" electronic engine controls for a few decades now. To the point where I daresay the electronic controls on most engines today--- automotive, aviation, and marine--- are far more reliable than the simple but very mechanical controls from the "good old days."
Plus, most well-designed electronic controls have work arounds built into them in case something does go wrong. They very rarely will leave you totally powerless. You might develop partial power, or you might have to engage a physical back-up system that provides a sufficient degree of engine performance to get you home.
One of the reasons we are toying with the idea of re-engining our boat is to get rid of the ancient, mechanical engine controls with all their inefficiencies and potential failure points and replace them with a pair of modern diesels with electronic controls that we can basically forget about.
I know you hate analogies, Eric, but you came up with a beauty with your old-time car mechanic comparison. That sums up the resistance to electronic engine controls perfectly, in my mind. Perhaps I have a different mindset to the typical boat owner, I don't know. I work in an industry which is focused full time on making things more reliable, more efficient, lighter, and more maintenance free than what came before. So I don't view technical advances as being scary, I view them as being solutions to the deficiencies in today's technology. In the words of a song, "today is tomorrow's yesterday."
Also THE BOAT you really want to buy might have single or twins, so at that point it may not matter. 
However, my wife wanted the boat. The only things it had going for it was being BIG, and the price. 
