Well, margin: auto is how you center things horizontally. What? You want something like align: center instead? Well, that's just semantics. It's a legacy issue built on extending instead of improving.

Here's a fun one, make a div display: inline-block and then use text-align: center on its parent. Why the hell does the div center when the rule is for text? Is it badly implemented or is it badly named? Without reading the actual spec it's a mystery.

I use CSS extensively nearly every day. I learned CSS before IE6 existed. You don't like dirty hacks? I've likely forgotten more dirty hacks then you'll ever be required to know about. Compared to how things started, CSS is a godsend to us today. But I'm not going to yell to you to get off my lawn, because the fun has only just started and you should feel free to join in.

The problems you listed that you have with CSS, you do realize that's mostly because of how browsers implemented CSS and some related technologies right? CSS isn't a dirty pimp, he's actually the guy down the street that knows all about fashion and design but everybody keeps wanting him to build cars.