I see you chose to focus only on the Steemit-related portion of my comments. They actually flowed as an afterthought. My post was actually about much bigger societal issues, not Steemit.
But I also see that you have a rather large chip on your shoulder about Steemit. So let me see if I can help you with that.
First, who said anything about a post being "good"? The whole point of my post was that rewards are not based on merit or the quality of the content but rather largely on luck. So there was no "circular logic". Did you even read my post? Try reading it again.
The purpose of Steemit is not to "inspire higher quality". That will be a likely beneficial side effect in some cases, but that's not its reason to be. Stop thinking of it a that way and you'll spare yourself a lot of angst.
"Influence" on Steemit is for sale, just like in the "real world". Anyone with money can have it. As for me, most of my "influence" was acquired with cash, and a fair amount of it. I had no "premine" (and actually, nobody else did either). I believe in the platform, I wanted to have a say in how it develops, so I bought Steem Power. You or anyone can do the same, and by doing so you can also have an outsized voice in the system.
Instead, many came here expecting something for nothing. Or at least for little. They thought they could show up at the party like a "wild and crazy guy", start throwing up a few posts, and reap tons of reward. Well, it doesn't work that way. Steemit is a SOCIAL network. People who know and like each other support each other. Just like in the "real world" it takes a while to make new friends and admirers, but those who make the consistent effort get rewarded. Those who don't, and who wish to rely only on "merit" or "quality" to make their way in the world...well...they have a little tougher time of it. This is no different from the "real world".
So, like in the real world, friendship and familiarity are at least as important as "quality". Remember that and, once again, you'll save yourself a ton of angst.
If the influential people here do in fact have "terrible taste and judgement", as you so smugly suggest, then...you know what? THEY WILL BE THE ONES TO PAY THE HIGHEST PRICE FOR IT. And, that's the beauty of Steemit. The people with "chips in the game" make decisions in proportion to their amount at risk, unlike in the "real world" where it's "heads they win, and tails you lose."
I've never threatened anyone with reprisal for simply disagreeing with me or the rewards system or for offering up a helpful, constructive suggestion. I have threatened people with downvotes who are obviously just trolling--meaning that they are intentionally spreading factually incorrect information (and not just opinions) and/or they are engaging in ad hominem rather than constructive and issue specific related debate.
The currency is doing just fine. It's gone from 20 cents to $2 in a month. The whole thing is still in beta (closer to alpha in some ways). But you're right--if I'm wrong, I will pay a steep price. As it should be.
But...I'm not wrong. Just wait and see.
The "same people" who get consistently upvoted do indeed benefit from "luck". The most extreme type of it. They were fortunate enough to find Steemit early. They invested tons of time into building a strong reputation here. They made friends. They contributed to the various debates. They hung out on Slack.
They took risk and believed in the system at its earliest stages. And as LUCK would have it, the system has taken off. And the contacts and network they built over the last 60 days is paying off for them. There's a ton of luck in that.