upvoting is an action in a free market.

down voting doesn't exist in a free market.

Reward pool distribution belongs to no one until the 7 days is up. It is no ones property. Free markets do not allow purchase without property.

...it is not a cultural problem, it is a fundamental flaw in steem that will never be addressed (until inflation has stopped).

It is why steem will never suceed.

You can fight/try to engineer human behavior, as much as you like, it won't change it.
Steem is trying to do _just_ this.

It will fail.
The market knows this also. (22 cents!!!)