Yes, I believe "communities" can encourage "pockets" of the community to do this.
I agree in some aspect of the "short-sidedness." However, the way this platform is designed, it's a race to get as much STEEM as possible. At the same time yes, poor choices can have quite an effect.
I think the way the system was designed it will be a difficult for those high up to power down to lose their influencing power on the platform and the "capital" to continue earning more. I think the community tokens will change things for the better.
I do remain quite hopeful about "Communities," as well as hopeful that we'll see something concrete from the development team fairly soon... as I recall, the estimated "delivery date" was 2nd Quarter for that.