To be frank, I hadn't considered that angle. I guess I still have concerns on those other two points (image and crossfire to minnows), but if hypothetically these whales downvoted each other enough to lose some ground it could have a positive end result. Such a strange dynamic really!

To complicate things further though, I've noticed that each whale that is involved in these shenanigans seems to be dragging some others along with it. Many people joining the platform begin taking sides in hopes of an upvote from a whale which in my opinion detracts from their ability to provide content of value to the community. Instead of blogging things of interest they turn into finger pointing flaggers.