Perhaps more than a glance is appropriate before flagging items?
"I was probably also influenced by the quality of the discussion."
Wouldn't down-voting the particular comment(s) you don't like be more appropriate?
Perhaps, but I don't think so in this case. The main reason I flagged it was not the 'paradox' but because it's not a direction I want to see HN going. If a rabbi and a priest walk into a bar, I'd flag it regardless of whether the punchline is hilarious. I'd agree that the moderator should take more than a glance.
Wouldn't down-voting the particular comment(s) you don't like be more appropriate?
I can't really assess 'appropriate', but it certainly wouldn't have been as effective. Knocking a 'funny' comment down from 16 to 15 points wouldn't have even been noticed, whereas using the flag to call it to the attention of a moderator for review had the effect I hoped for.
I don't know the submission volume of HN, but I'd guess it's sufficient that a glance is all one can afford.