I also argue in favor of the complete elimination of downvoting for the same reasons. My thesis is that if we force ourselves to move forward in the positive, leaving the holding back of others to others, and keep an eye on the widest contributor base possible, with time even the abusers will come round

I don't see how this necessarily follows at all. Downvoting is a necessary evil to combat posts that are overvalued due to inorganic voting as one example (a greater evil in my humble opinion). How else would we deal with this?

Those kind will just keep getting more powerful and powerful and bury the potential gold mine of minnow posts in their mediocrity whilst getting paid in doing so.

This, my friend, is something that is contrary to universality or wider appeal to talented users that may not be so affluent to use the "tools" that the not so talented yet affluent use to make a bucks. We are allowing this platform to become a Ponzi scheme of self-voted and bid buying. Flagging may be are only hope of correction but I think we collectively need to realize what is happening and what the implications will be if we do not nip it in the bud now.