[snapplebobapple]

I think you might be missing the actual great thing about HN. It's not that it doesn't restrict topics, it's that it pseudo restricts audience by both targeting a specific subset of the tech movement (the business minded folks who have a bent towards founding companies while still being highly technical) while not being heavy handed about it and while also appearing to pursue moderation in their moderation. This means I tend to actually be able to see and engage with reasonable leftie points I haven't thought of, not get downvoted into oblivion if I bring a well thought out center right position to the conversation (indeed sometimes I actually collect upvotes if I do that, which is unheard of on other platforms like most subreddits). It also means the obviously incorrect far left nonsense is kept to a dull roar here even though this place leans pretty heavily (if mostly moderately) left. This place honestly feels like political debate looked 60-70 years ago before all civility left politics and positions were dumbed down to soundbites, albeit with a center leftist party in charge.