I'm not sure what the problem to be solved here is. It doesn't seem reasonable to force YouTube (or any other free video host) to indefinitely store and host content.

If you want something to stay around on the internet it has to take up space on somebody's drive and bandwidth on somebody's network connection - and for sufficiently large content like video you're going to have to do that yourself or convince/pay someone you trust to do so on your behalf.

I am thinking of everyone hosting their own videos, and being able to comment on each other's. Is there a federated YouTube?

Something like Mastodon/Pleroma.

Peertube

Are you sure it was YT and not the creater who deleted acct.

Also there is a solution already, it's called "The Internet". Upload your content far and wide.

> the YouTube account associated with this video has been terminated.

"Terminated" is a pretty harsh wording for an account that was willingly deleted.

When you resign nobody says you got terminated. You are terminated when you are fired.

I assume Github, the host of the OP, can do the same. How many people have entrusted their life's work to it?

I sincerely hope none given how easy git is to mirror and the risk of Microsoft killing accounts