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!!!)