RE: The Value of Downvotes Explained
" Bullying is more like doxxing innocent folks when it comes to the internet, in my opinion."
Or ransomware. Which actually is quite similar in effect to flags, as both extract economic resources based on unequal power, ransomware due to power of knowledge of code, and flags due to power of stake.
Both are bullying.
Just read the comments @berniesanders leaves when flagging some account into the dust. He's bullying. He proclaims it. Pretending he's selflessly balancing rewards for the good of the platform is facile, unless by balance you mean concentrate in the wallets of whales, because that's the outcome of his bullying.
It sure isn't to spread the rewards to quality posts - which are difficult to find in the autovote infested trending page.
Captchas, and 2FA, either or both, would end the problem of bots.