And as one passes the equator the stars revolve around a fixed point in the south which is in direct contradiction to FE theory.
This is again an optical phenomenon.
In fact, everything we observe is an optical phenomenon! Astounding.
This is true, but not relevant.
Yes, EXACTLY like your comment here:
And yet, the apparent altitude of Polaris seems to decrease as one approaches the Equator from the North.
Completely irrelevant to the disproof of bent light, which does not require observations to be made from different points on the earths surface. Observations from one latitude are quite sufficient to gather data that will let the theory of bent light die a fiery screaming death, dwindling until all that remains is a crappy ember with "Parsec was here" written on it, and a faint smell of troll piss.