This article grossly overplays the importance of such places. Back in the day these types of discussions were commonplace, even on the internet. Now that the in

This article grossly overplays the importance of such places. Back in the day these types of discussions were commonplace, even on the internet. Now that the internet is increasingly sanitized of opposing speech, and the media serves as the arbiter of allowed discussion topics and (most importantly) allowed thought, communities like this just stick out. They say this is an important and unusual place, but really what they mean is that it’s a different place than what’s allowed. Even their use of language like “neo-fascist” is telling. As if labeling people a regular fascist doesn’t inflict the same type of cultural damage it used to have...