Given that some of the most influential tech people on the planet frequent HN (see Matt Cutts, etc.), I think it's critically important to discuss topics that are related simply to making the world a better place. Tech and tech people can help , but not if we can't even have the conversations.
If the richest and most influential people in tech are not even permitted to have these conversations, the chances of them getting fixed drops dramatically.
It feels like YCombinator wants to just keep shoving heads into sand on many, many topics because they're making money, and making money is the goal.