Is there a way to permanently delete iCloud bookmarks on Macbook Pro with Apple Silicon?

Macbook Pro apple silicon 1.5 yrs old loaded. This is after several computer restarts. I have turned iCloud off COMPLETELY - no iCloud.

First I delete all bookmarks in Safari 16.6, then I close Safari. Then in ~/Library/Safari, I delete files Bookmarks.plist, and also delete files CloudAutofillCorrections....etc, delete folder CloudBookmarksMigrationCoordinator, delete files AutoFill....etc, etc - I delete anything in ~/Library/Safari even remotely resembling having something to do with iCloud or bookmarks.

Then I copy my poor maligned but still desired Bookmarks.plist file from a super duper backup to a newly "clean restored by Apple repair" Ventura 13.6 (unlucky me - I had a complete blackout).

Anyway, I then start Safari, and for a moment it looks like my desired bookmarks are there. A brief moment of joy, ....., and then misery. The bookmarks scramble, my Bookmarks.plist file is modified automatically, and all the deleted files reappear, and I get a confused list of websites which I have no way of arranging. And anyway, even if I went through all that work, would the changes be retained?????.

Where is all this coming from? I realize Apple is a hardware company, but still, we (anyway, I) expect better.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]