Maybe in a place like Steem we can see the coding of the world at play...
Steemit is, without much doubt, merely a microcosmic metaphor for the greater world. I do believe @dan might have had something more idealistic in mind, but those who would try to gain for themselves at the expense of others are pretty much everywhere.
The problem with most ideologies is that they work beautifully in a vacuum occupied only by "responsible, intelligent, thinking, accountable adults." But such a world doesn't exist, outside a small and narrow band.
Brings to mind the M. Night Shyamalan movie "The Village." You can't create Utopia without tall walls and fences to keep "them" out... them, being those whose worldview is different from that of the idealists.
Yes, it is a microcosm that isn't discerning enough to be a vacuum, nor can it be to prove itself. It has to be through people willing to actually unlearn and relearn what has brought about the outer world. It is not an easy task nor is it likely to be successful.