So if a hypothetical "evil cabal of corporations" wanted to make their bad whales to subvert the system, there is no recourse, right? We just have to live with the 'might makes right' system?
If I am not mistaken some weeks ago you made the point of corporations buying in and advertisement, sorry I can't recall what exactly you said, but essentially you expect that there will be some future actors with deep pockets that will then be able to exert their influence. It seems like that eventuality needs some way of curtailing it's potential for harm. And if that is the case, then perhaps the notion of "Those who have the most to lose have the most say" needs to be adjusted in some fashion.
Considering this platform, if it lives up to it's ultimate potential, can disrupt the business model of so many industries, the possibility of just such a subversion is probable. It's not even illegal (not like that would prevent them anyway).
I understand that there is more to the algorithm than that statement, but it would seem that we can't be married to that idea as an immutable fact. There is the possibility of there being some other way.
It seems that any overt advertising would not get upvoted, and get forgotten. Unless a swarm of millennials join, then it might begin looking like mypace. Doubt it. But deep pocket influencers could put out disinformation.