Do we really have to presume per sé that Eli is not going to look out for the best interests of Steem?
If Steem wins (higher token value, more users, better content), so does Steemit (and Justin).
I simply don't presume anything. At this point, it's still very difficult to say whether or not a win-win scenario will be played out.
Then you must trust in the trustless system blockchain was developed to be?
I have maximal trust in direct on-chain transactions. But governance in Proof of Stake systems is a very different beast. These systems are fairly new, so it's a learning and growing experience for everyone.