The present amount of Steem is not unlimited, and rewards are based on extant supplies, not future theoretical supplies. There is a limited pool of rewards at the time of any payout, and those payouts are proportional to the weight of the votes applicable to them.

Thus, when @mindhunter and I are both being payedout at the same time, the amount of rewards I receive are less the more rewards he is payed. I am not jelly, and do not write in order to receive rewards, but many, many do, and since @mindhunter's rewards aren't based on curation, but on buying votes, this practice directly diminishes the rewards payed to others.

It isn't a false idea of scarcity that is fooling people. It is false to contend that, because Steem can continually be inflated, our current rewards aren't impacted by scams and schemes that draw from the rewards pool.