I'd add to this that I think that thread is why it's interesting to see/have these discussions on Hacker News. The "appropriate" places for these topics aren't

I'd add to this that I think that thread is why it's interesting to see/have these discussions on Hacker News. The "appropriate" places for these topics aren't especially interesting because they tend to be ideological echo chambers for one side or the other. That leads to trite and banal "discussion", if it can even be called that. Actually seeing 'real' people all across the spectrum of views, values, backgrounds, and so on is just so much more interesting.