I don't really agree with much of what you said here but this:

The EIP and the non-linear reward curve make upvotes worth less on posts with smaller payouts which pretty much make it impossible for anyone to vote on those. Instead, it's far more profitable from a curation point of view to go for the ones you know will get a ton of upvotes. Those that do show support pretty much also get punished for it with decreased curation rewards.

It would be nice if you folks stopped spreading that myth. My highest curation rewards come from posts I vote late on, without knowing if the post will do well after my vote, and many of them have low rewards when I vote.

That's how it is for me all the time. My biggest rewards come from taking a gamble. Honest curation is a thing. You don't need to be in some kind of a circle either. You don't need to post butt kissery. All this whining is annoying.

Why are you buying something that is free? I've been here three years, never purchased a vote. What for? That does nothing.