I think you're really misapplying labor politics to a casual website. I'd even go as far to say that comparing being a reddit mod to share cropping to be tasteless and offensive! I wouldn't say that opinion in public with my face & name associated with it, that's for sure.

Mods can Just Quit. They can go self-host. Nobody is making them use Reddit. This isn't a labor situation where anyone's livelihood is at stake.