I agree people seem to get emotional when discussing the problems with Steem, but we need to be careful that we aren't attacking people with very valid opinions just because we don't like what they're saying (the truth hurts).
There is no denying that Steem has problems, but let's be real here: many of the problems on Steem are not problems that can easily be solved. They are problems that are going to require people to really roll up their sleeves, notably, the witnesses are the ones with the power to change things (and thus far, have not done anything I am aware of).
One thing I have noticed is the people making the posts about the sad state of Steem are the users with little Steem Power or funds. The users who are fighting back in the debate are the whales with large amounts of Steem Power, who don't like their dominance and wealth being threatened.
Just like there are class systems in real life, they're also on Steemit. And it's all well and good to promote the American dream of "work hard and you'll succeed" but we all know that it's highly unlikely unless you're willing to invest real money into Steem, that you'll ever get to whale status without using bots or delegations.
we are all in the same boat
We are all in the same boat, some of us are just down in economy-class at the bottom of the ship (who will drown first) while the rich whales are at the top enjoying champagne as we steer right into a field of ice.
And as the boat begins to sink, while we are all in the same boat, the rich people get out first (powering down) on their lifeboats while those at the bottom drown as the boat begins to bow and fill with water, drowning the lower class citizens.
We need to respect those who made it but also make it easier for new people to make it.