The life expectancy would not be "very low" without vaccines. It wasn't especially before they were invented, and it wouldn't be afterwards (especially with modern medicine minus vaccines).

> In essence, if you love to write, go write, but don't expect artificial laws to save you.

All laws are "artificial." You might as well go the full measure, and say if you want to keep what's "yours" defend it yourself. Don't expect some artificial private property laws to save you.

And if writing is turned purely into a hobby of the passionate, they'll be a lot less of it, because the people who are good at it will be forced to expend their energy doing other things to support themselves (if they're a member of the idle rich).

> 2. To my knowledge, Amazon is not known to violate a preexisting GPL license.

You missed the point. Copyright is foundational to the GPL: without it, no GPL. "Amazon is not known to violate a preexisting GPL license," for the same reason they don't print up their own "pirated" copies of the latest bestseller to tell, instead of buying copies from the publisher: it would be illegal.

> 3. This has already happened twice to me, and frankly, I am not worried. I can still carve out my limited focused niche.

It did, did it? Tell the story.

> your beliefs about individual greed would be very different.

What do you mean my "beliefs about individual greed?" Do tell.