>I find it surprising that these relatively well known issues aren't even considered topics for public discussion.
Because they're all considered "leftist" if not "socialist" politics now, and the Overton window of acceptable discussion in the US has moved very far to the right over the last four years.
>>krapp+(OP)
I would be interested in learning if it has been only over the last four years. My instinct is that the "left" has been hollowing out since the late 20th century, and it's not as much that discussion is hard to the right as that substantive issues are being ignored because it's not convenient for those in power.