As to your claim that you aren't soft on Libertarians... LOL. I've actually A/B tested this, saying the same toxic shit but with the positions swapped. Upvoted in one case, banned in the other.
Part of the mechanic might be that you never even see the Libertarian version because it doesn't get flagged in the first place, despite being identical in profanity, intelligence, and toxicity to the version that does get flagged. but whatever the causes, there's a real and definite bias as to what positions are tolerated here.
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Response to below: Etherael gives good conversation like:
"Congratulations, you are a retard."
"I have no hopes for you at all."
"Get off that lawn, you old crank."
"Why is this being downvoted? Are people really so naive as to not be aware of this?"
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" Because when you present a point in this way with this kind of language and in this kind of behavior, you just lose everything."
You're right. I have the same amount of respect for dang as he has for the public at large. And that's my fault. I should be better, even if I really believe that HN is worse and less useful each year, and that dang is poorly suited to moderation.
He's probably a smart guy, but we're all just apes, and he's one who isn't the right fit for the job.