Anybody who's been on HN for more than a month knows there is a set of topics that will trigger massive discussion threads, for which there is a generally accepted community opinion. If you go against those opinions, you will be downvoted. Go ahead: try saying that you're against the very idea of a basic income for all citizens in a BI thread.

The downvotes on the parent post are IMO a symptom of that. I'd defy anyone to tell me exactly which one of the rules at https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html this his/her post is breaking, besides, perhaps "posting perennial flamewar topics." And, if you have to call this a flame war topic, I would suggest that actually proves my point.