This is a really terrible attitude. Apparently, airplanes are this magical place where you're not supposed to be treated like a human being. By "acting entitled", you seem to mean "acting like he's entitled to fly on the plane he bought a ticket for". And of course he argued with the captain; he was being kicked off the plane for taking a picture! It's not arrogant to expect to be treated well.
This thing where everyone shouts down someone who stand up for themselves, even when they admit that person is right is really awful. It's like people value obedience of arbitrary impositions of authority as the highest virtue.
Here's where the guy loses me in the article: he blames the FA exclusively, as if it would be reasonable to kick someone off a plane even if he had continued to take a picture after she told him not to (why is she running around demanding that people not take pictures?). In fact, he's crazy to have been loyal to the airline company in the first place and his surprise at the lack of reciprocation is baffling.
That is such a terrible attitude. "I pay - I'm entitled to service".
You are guest on board a plane. They treat you like a guest, but they are busy and concerned people so do not overstay your welcome. That's the social contract around air travel.
And the payment? Treat it as entry fee to a nice party. You have to pay to enter but you have no right to be there if you can't behave.
And getting railed up by someone in power misrepresenting something about you that's unverifiable? Well... OP tells how it turned out. It usually turns out that way.
OP broke the rule (photographed equipment), when gently reminded about the rule, he made no efforts to make up for his violation (he didn't delete photos) and indulged his need to explain why he felt entitled to breaking that rule without clearly stating that he won't do it again but with using word 'terrorist' instead. Then he was asked to leave the plane.
>"It's like people value obedience of arbitrary impositions of authority as the highest virtue." //
That is just about the greatest virtue in the context of being in a confined space with someone in a relatively flimsy metal tube jetting over the ocean (or wherever). One is already trusting the captain + crew with your life to a large extent.
>"he blames the FA exclusively, as if it would be reasonable to kick someone off a plane even if he had continued to take a picture" //
My take is that the FA flagged the subject's behaviour as suspicious [or at least potentially problematic] and the photography was used as the excuse to oust the passenger without troubling the rest of the people onboard with mention of "terrorism" or making potentially slanderous remarks about the general character of the subject.
Maybe if fewer people were "humble" and stopped "swallowing their pride" in this ridiculous climate of fear we've established at airports and on planes, we could make some headway in getting rid of it. Expecting people to be polite is fine (and as far as we know, the author was polite). Expecting them to surrender their dignity is not.
I doubt the bit about being humble means they might let you stay on the plane. The decision process is a one way process, once you cross the line there is no going back; or in the words of De Niro "If there's doubt then there is no doubt".
I can only speak from experience. In the past when I've been caught doing something illegal or improper, I've been let off by being respectful and apologetic.
There was a very simple solution to this situation; Suck it up, swallow your pride and apologise, whether you were in the wrong or not.
If he had been humble about it, he very likely would have been able to stay on the flight.