> HN is full of baronets arguing in favor of the modern social order -- because while they're not real aristocrats, they're not peasants.

I think that's very on point. While HN is a technology site, it's also one for "founders" * who aspire join the elite of that social order, which explains the exaggerated empathy for the interests of shareholders and companies.

* (and those with fantasies of being one)

you have to be "someone" to become "someone", even if you suddenly earned 30% of shares in facebook, it would not make you "part of the elite", there is only so high you can get without [the right] family background (see billy gates who's mother - the less interesting part of the picture - was co-chair at / IBM CEOs personal friend .. so much for the hollywood story of the "deal of the century" ft. young billy and DOS .. aaand FTCvIBM but the cast/story gets even more interesting later on