"The only reason anyone is here [etc]" - I disagree. I am not here because it pays but because I value decentralization. If people are here only to make money than I imagine that is going to make for a pretty poor quality community, and in the long run not be good for the platform as a whole. Which I think is sort of the point of the original post.
RE: Steem whales are a joke. Look at the steem power this account has!! (it's a bought and sold account)