In general you are right. I have heard this from middle class people in Africa many times - they think that charity has undermined the economy just as much as corruption.
The good thing about Steemit is that you will only pay when people actually has made some work that you like - you probably wouldn't have noticed them otherwise.
Right.
For the most part, it does not feel like 'charity', but me just paying to be entertained, personally :)