I do feel like recently this site has become more intolerant of any sort of dissent from mainstream views though. Or at least asymmetrical: the same "boring" covid cheerleader posts are allowed to stand while anything saying we've gone too far is flagged. I think we'd be better off talking about it less overall.
Also, this site is not all that interested in free and open debate anymore. This aspect has been diminishing for years. It is better moderated than some other sites though which is why it has hung on for this long.
But that's true of articles on the same topic but with the opposite opinions, but they don't get flagged as often.
Hacker culture was originally predominantly skeptics, the type that resist authority and think for themselves. Over time, the original hackers were diluted to the point of being on the margins of the tech scene. This happens to all subcultures that become 'cool'.
So, once programming became more established it found a wider audience, and a certain type of risk intolerant, rigid minded person became attracted to the scene, due to the structured nature of programming. These people and others of similar thinking are the least likely to consider they are wrong, and are the ones so opposed to anything that challenges the narrative they've been telling themselves.
The number of people willing to skeptically challenge prevailing opinions has always been fairly low. Most of the people I know want the comfort of absolute belief, even the nonreligious people.
I've worked with hundreds of developers and this has been my experience. Think of this anecdote what you will.
Can't say I agree with everyone on everything but I'm not going out of my way to assault you with my non-expert opinion.