The distribution of voting power does seem to be a big problem here, though I think it would not be if the rules were changed, such as suggested by @kevinwong. What should be an immediate concern for anyone interested in the future of Steem is @quantalysus analysis showing the Gini Coefficient of Steemit is somewhere between 0.616 and 0.93 with probably the most accurate estimate being closer to 0.914. As this post points out, if Steem were a country it would be the most unequal society in the world! The comments are worth reading since some claim that the distribution is getting better. I've certainly seen a number of communities and powerful individuals working to make a difference. And Steem is cheap right now, so buying some is an option if you have some spare crypto or fiat currency.
Kevin's suggestions would do something but, not everything would work as expected since, it never does. At the end of the day, it is human behaviour that needs to change but, that isn't going to shift too fast.
I agree. Unintended consequences are always part of any rule system where humans are involved. This is why rules need to constantly change. It might be an interesting experiment to create a system that dynamically changes the rules to achieve certain user behaviors.