And this is exactly how real companies compensate their executives--partly with "liquid" salary and partly with illiquid stock options and restricted stock. No executive is "forced" to get paid this way--they can always go work for another company if they don't like it.
With Steemit, we all get compensated like executives rather than minions. Those that don't like it can work somewhere else. There's no "forcing".
Executives! Yes...
But poor day to day workers we are talking here. Independent contractors is even closer than regular employees when describing the writers.
But if you all pretend to not see it, it is fine. It will simple fail due to its executives (aka you, ben above/below and all above dan) behaving all knowingly ...