"Let people who buy a bunch of steem do whatever they want in relation to the reward pool? We've been there and done that. I have zero interest in retaining those who exploit the reward pool at the expense of everyone else, no matter how much steem they decide to buy or hold."

Buying Steem is a service to the blockchain. The very act props up the value of the token in the marketplace. I think this is why the code allows those with a larger stake to draw more from the pool. They want the coin to have a market value, thus they need an incentive for people to buy it. If you are all too eager to attack this incentive with downvotes, then how would you sell people on why they should invest in Steem?

Additionally, the powering-up or HODLING of Steem prevents selling, and selling pushes the market value of the token down. Stakeholders are entitled to move what they can from the reward pool. How can doing so be exploitation if the code allows it? Additionally, the code does not entitle everyone to anything at all. People are only entitled to take what they can move from the pool or that of which others convey to them, and this is relative to the investment.