We needn't invoke foreign entities to explain why HN voters would upvote it. Smug comments routinely get upvoted. The fault is with us, not shadowy outsiders.

Apropos of which, it's in the site guidelines not to bring in insinuations of astroturfing unless there's actual evidence, so could you please not do that on HN?

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

^ Is that reply a sign, that HN is slowly transforming itself to some sort of 4chan board?