I do not disagree that discussing flags is generally uninteresting and it would be intellectually dishonest to exclude this case, just because I happen to diffe

I do not disagree that discussing flags is generally uninteresting and it would be intellectually dishonest to exclude this case, just because I happen to differ here. But I do think discussion of this topic is relevant for our shared (hacker) culture and I explained why, so this isn't just questioning the flagging, it also offers a on topic thought. And given the current times (not only in the US) this is a relevant topic for every citizen that wants to keep their society non-authoritarian and merit based. There is a cost to having heated discussions on HN — but there is also a cost to not having them in some cases. I argue that this is one of those. Rules are important and make this place what it is, but it is more important to act in the spirit of the rules than by the letter.