(Hands off my STEEM!)
I was chatting with 
In a very rare moment of inspiration, I compared some of the infighting to a group of explorers landing on a brand new continent and fighting over the first pretty beach they saw. (There may be a reward for a visual representation of this scene, if you are so artistically inclined)
One example of this is the 
There has been a lot of debate centered around whether the Whaleshares Project is good for the community or will lead us all into a burning sea of fire.
The ability to do nefarious things - or what some would call nefarious anyway - already exist on Steemit. Whaleshares and initiatives like it don't change that. Trading or buying votes? Exists already. It's all called Steem Power!
As members of the steemit community, we govern ourselves. We own our Steem Power. We can buy, sell, trade or exchange our influence as we see fit. 
People can buy votes if they so wish with their financial OR social capital. People tend to forget than having connections is much the same (if not more important) than having money. A group of people can decide to vote for each other for rewards because they have invested time to create a social bond.
It is no different than someone spending the same amount of time to write an article. Both are valuable investments in their own way. Whether we like it or not, it is what it is. There is nothing that can be done to prevent this nor anyone should try to do so.
While some debate how others choose to make their money on Steemit, we would all be better served by just focusing on how to make money - both for ourselves and all those who contribute to the economy here on Steemit.
When man and woman awoke in the cradle of civilization, they had two choices. Stay where they are and bicker or make conquest over the entire planet. Lucky for us, they chose the latter. Expanding across the planet, creating incredible works of art, divine music and culinary masterpieces.
Yes there were still problems, but the good of humanity has always outweighed the bad. Hopefully we make a similar choice.
If you're interested in joining the discussion, check out the Whaleshares Discord. Feel free to ask questions, express concerns and offer ideas for improvement. Good ideas are often rewarded with Whaleshares tokens!
