I don't think his point is limited to SF. It seems to be a thing where if you criticize any sufficiently popular view, you get the hammer down much harder than

I don't think his point is limited to SF. It seems to be a thing where if you criticize any sufficiently popular view, you get the hammer down much harder than before. The only things that can be criticized are unpopular things, because they are safe to do so. Like in SF, no one says "oh, you need to show hope in dealing with religion!" That's because among that crowd, religion is beyond the pale and doesn't need to be appeased. There are other things, but there's an awful lot of true groupthink today, and since the culture is so connected, its easier to shout down or tire contrarians.