Well, it is quite discouraging to see someone so Steem-familiar like you to be so pesimistic about the hard fork but I am sure you based these concerns on some solid info and experiences. There are many various scenarios of how this thing will pan out and what you described is definitely one of them. What gives me hope that this hard fork was proposed with good intentions is the simple fact that all of us here in this community, from the tinniest planktons to the largest whales and witnesses, have one common goal and desire - the healthy growth of Steem and its price. If this project crashes, nobody here will benefit from it. So I tink there is no other option for us but pull on the same end of the rope.