It is more akin to you deciding you don't like anchovies so down voting the potential earnings of anchovies to $0 so people that want anchovies can't pay for them because you effectively remove their ability to pay and the people making anchovies eventually stop putting them on the shelf.
If you decide the reward is worth $0 and you force that to occur you are removing the ability of other people to pay for products they want.
This is the best summary I've heard regarding why the current DV system is so problematic. Very well stated!
RE: You cannot take away from the author that which does not belong to the author.