No, clunky controls do not equal realism. What is realistic is something like Track IR (i.e., you turn your head and your character's head turns instead of requiring more keys, mouse, etc., to produce the same effect). Making something complicated or clunky does not create a more realistic feeling.
In fact, it does quite the opposite.
In real life, if I want to climb a ladder quickly I can run at it, jump and grab onto a rung. In ArmA you can't jump and you can't fluidly grab onto a rung...and that's only one small criticism among others.
I'm trying to help here by offering my view from someone that is attracted to ArmA but was disappointed. Unfortunately, I sense that I'm just going to be hit with comments such as yours that are intended to insult my intelligence instead of expand on the dialog of how ArmA can increase it's player base. How sad.