SB
I am flattered by your frequent references to aerobatic pilots and aerobatic inputs but their relevance is lost (on me).
Only an instrument rated pilot is a safe pilot in IMC.
On the other hand a safe pilot is one that will avoid conflicts with the terrain. Almost always (other than controlled level flight into the scenery because you had no idea it was there) accidents happen as a result of loss of control. A stall on the base turn is a loss of control, a stall on final is a loss of control, a botched return to the runway following an engine failure on departure is a loss of control, impacting the scenery too fast following an engine failure is a loss of control, the list goes on.
An instrument pilot does spend most of his time fly George. An instrument pilot is concerned about "gentle" inputs. In fact, an instrument pilot risks insufficient hand flying time.
When things go wrong its almost certainly hand flying skills that will count - I dont see George being of help when he has tripped out in the climb trying to maintain trim and rate as the airframe accumulates ice - what I do see as counting is a pilot that can recognise where the aircraft is within the envelope, and what can and should be done to ensure the aircraft remains within a manageable envelope. In that respect an aerobatic pilot may have the edge, because he is accustom to operating close or beyond the edge of the envelope and he is accustom to reacting quickly and appropriately.
I was never suggesting aerobatic skills in IMC were helpful, although come to think about it I'd pick a instrument pilot with aerobatic experience to fly me in IMC rather than one with plain instrument skills.
In short instrument flying is a discipline in its own right - there is no substitute. However, instrument pilots are no more or less immune from ulitmately relying on sound hand flying skills when things go badly wrong, pilots with aerobatic skills (and dare I say also pilots who fly tail wheel aircraft) have the best hand flying skills around - accept no substiute!
Additionally no aerobatic aircraft is equiped as an IFR tourer and no IFR tourers are approved for aeros.
As a point of order, you are wrong. Not only are you wrong, but you are wrong even as regards aircraft with a G on the side!!