There is something you did not factor into all of this. Not everything posted on Steemit is posted to make money. I often post items simply to make people laugh or to lift someone's spirits. About a year ago, I started a meme site specifically for this purpose. To give myself and others a supply of light hearted, funny, happy memes they could use without worrying about giving me credit (and yes I make 100% sure I have the right to use all photos, without giving credit, if I do not make or take them myself ). But what right does anyone have to tell me I can't post my own work because it is also available on my website and/or it is possible it has already been posted by dozens of people on other social media sites?

I think part of the problem here is there is more than one definition of what Steemit is or should be, being thrown around the internet. Some see it as a social media site, some see it as a way to make money, some are using it as a weapon against others they disagree with (for any reason). I have yet to figure out what the creators saw it as being, possibly because I have yet to figure out who the creators are.

To limit Steemit to 100% unique work stifles the social media aspect. Without the social media aspect, it turns Steemit into just another job, being forced into doing this the way THE BOSS (whomever that is) says to do it or get downvoted.

To take your analogy a step further, sharing information that has already been shared and getting paid for it, is no different than a fast food company taking their name sake burger, slapping some lettuce and tomato on it and calling it deluxe. They not only sell the burger with a little extras, they sell it at a higher price the second time around.

Computer manufacturers develop a computer, then produce an more advanced version. Game developers make a light version for free then sell upgrades inside the game and later develop a fully paid version.

The exact same intellectual property is used and reused in every aspect of society and big business gets paid for it over and over again every day. Why is it so bad for individuals to do it?

Why is it not good enough to let the users of the information decide if it provides them with value?

Obviously, there will be people who try to take it to the extreme and take advantage of it. But any SYSTEM you develop to deal with it must be smart enough to tell the difference. I have already been "called on the carpet" and threatened with downvotes, by someone who promoted themselves as a some sort of Steemit Police. All because I did not write in the post that I made my own graphic.

At what point do we realize that the number of new people who see this stuff and decide to leave Steemit, is simply not worth the few pennies someone might be making on reposting the same information.

There is nothing wrong with allowing the people on Steemit to police themselves using their votes and downvotes to do it. But when individuals start taking on the role of a governing body and choosing who and what they want to allow... It just feels too much like you are trying to turn Steemit into another FB and Twitter.