Steem platform don't allow mining but it allows to earn regular income by becoming a witness. Witnesses are similar to miners, with the difference that they don't mine Steem. On the other hand steem has great chances for the investors to invest and earn as the investors can earn by simply hodling SP and earn interest on their hodling. They can also use their SP to sell votes, automatic upvote contents or providing SP on lease. These all things are similar to earn without doing much.
The real difficulty is for the people who are being used as guinea pigs. These guinea pigs work a lot and in return they get crumbs so that they may live anyhow. These guinea pigs' hard work is meant for the big whales and their bots. It is very easy for the owners of bots to earn without doing anything. They have set their bots and then their work ends. Bots earn much earlier (before casting vote) while the content creators has to wait for a whole week to get something. Bot owners are always in profit while it is possible for the bid senders that he might not be able to get his bid amount back after 25%curation reward which also goes to the bots. So, it is a win-win position for the bots while for the bid sender it remains a matter of luck.
Steem platform was designed to attract rich and powerful people who could rule this platform. I think the developers were successful in their quest. They have created a platform which is the most in-equal platform and system in the whole world. Even North Korea is better than in this position. I have tasted this platform and I am saying this after seeing all these things here.