I think the content of the article is insightful and aligns with what I and some friends were recently discussing. There seems to be a growing sense of pessimism (outside the tech scene anyway) in middle class America. I don't really know the cause but I think it's worth discussing further.

Why does it need to promote discussion at all? Is it not a useful read standalone?

I posted this article. At least in my family and circle of friends, this is a much discussed topic.

That said, I agree that HN should be mostly for technology.

To be fair, civil, productive and germane is a pretty tall order for any thread on the internet.