Most people on here don’t mind being exposed to different viewpoints. If you ask me, even some - or even most, IDK - tankies are fine to talk to, even argue with, as they are usually civil.

The problem is that there are a lot of users on the *.ml instances who are not interested in debate, they just keep repeating the same 2-3 slogans over and over again in smug superiority as a reply to everything, and mods ban people randomly the same way.

When you meet some users who reply “you are misled by Western media” to anything you say as a final and incontrovertible argument, that’s not a good faith debate I’m willing to participate in.

The problem is not the differing opinions, but the differing norms for polite conversation and good faith arguments.

I said to grow communities, even across instances, just not on .ml. Cutting off a toxic instance because their admins refuse to reign in the worst of them is not creating an echo chamber.