I will upvote tonight--have to wait for a little recharging before I use my votes. However, I would like to respond to your post before it gets lost in the stream of other posts.

All of the issues you raise are legitimate, but I'm not surprised by the obvious imbalance between merit and reward. There are always people who have an edge, advantage that seems unfair. I grew up with five siblings. Learned early not to expect fairness. So, on Steemit, I don't look at what others get. I try to see if I can make progress in my own quiet way. Is there a path to success? Is there a mechanism whereby those without influence can still reap gains? I think so. I didn't invest any money. I'm not chatty and don't socialize a lot on here. What I do is reciprocate good treatment. And I work really hard to make quality posts. My progress is slow, but it is progress. I'm inching along, climbing the mountain. I see chalets at the top, but I don't aim for them. One thing that gives me encouragement is the small groups that are forming, almost organically, to help associates along the way. There's no entrance fee to become part of the groups, just a commitment to write quality posts and check in on blogs that members write. Now, I"m relatively new here. So maybe I've got it all wrong. But I weather moments of discouragement and try to give a lift to those who seem to be making even less progress than I am.

I'm having fun on Steemit. I'm learning a lot as I research different topics for my posts. Maybe in a year I'll think I've been on a fool's errand. All the more reason to enjoy myself while I'm here. Then my time will be well spent, no matter the material rewards.
Peace to you. I'll continue to follow your blog because you have a lot to say.