Don't forget you also have a meta-vote: you choose which sites to patronize. When and if the posts on the front page no longer match your interests, it's time to walk away and let the tragedy of the commons play out the third act.

I agree that it is very annoying not to be able to hide comments. I hope there is some incredibly important reason for this. Maybe it is explicitly to foster the kind of comment you made, to goad people into taking action when the quality of articles drops rather than tolerating dreck and linkbait by ignoring it?