I do believe the downvote is important to keep bad behaviour in check but when it becomes a tool of a feud it is a problem. But also maybe not.
I don't know about which whales you speak of or what their fight is about however the value of the Hive that is being reward and then removed will go back to the reward pool and then be distributed proportionality to all the other posts. So, in a way we all benefit from the spoils of war.