The subreddit (and others) has completely gone nuts by neglecting to see how a majority of technological innovation, including computers, video games, the internet and more, are a direct byproduct of military and/or political happenstances. They are so concerned with the possibility that politics of the wrong think kind will leak onto their forum so they use it as a pretext to create banned topics and unacceptable opinions. This kind of thinking has moved into the realm of acceptability, as our political climate continues to inch further and further away from the idea that it's OK for all opinions and all discussion to exist, and closer to "if you aren't on our team, you are with the enemy".

People are so fucking afraid of being offended these days that they are willing to wilfully stifle productive and highly insightful conversation for everyone. So all these efforts to downplay "toxic" opinions and controversy has actually created a totalitarian environment where everyone walks on eggshells. It's almost a game, where I can predict which several popular submissions will be pulled from the main subs because they push the envelope just a little too far for the sophomoric and incredibly corrupt mods.

Take a look at eli5 for example. In a similar light, they have straight up banned any questions, as awesome or innocent as the discussion or question may be, that seek to analyze or dissect any aspect of culture, politics, and society. What is it that they are so afraid will be found out or discussed? Or is this one of those trees of forbidden fruit thing where they arbitrarily set up traps for the sole purpose of being able to feel powerful?

It all reminds me of situations where hardcore religious parents don't want their kids finding out that evolution exists because it could challenge the anti-intellectual faith-based narrative and cause the kid to question the foundations of his or her understanding of reality.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was maybe a handful of individuals who are causing all of this abrasion on Reddit. Over the course of the past decade, it's gone from a free outlet for open discussion to an eggshell-laden censorship forum where you have to phrase things just right and talk about only pre-approved topics for mods and admins to allow it.

I used to come to Reddit as my first stop for news. Now I come to Reddit to be shocked at what a fat, ugly sow most of it has become.