Someone has been downvoting me every time I get a response from you on each comment.

Are you seeing my point now?

That sounds nothing like what we are talking about at all. Weird knee-jerk reaction. I feel like you are being a dick about this.

I really don’t think you do, you are being incredibly closed minded and sticking your head in the sand. Because it has no* effect on you (yet).

But not ‘being a dick’ is far too subjective in a global village… The world does not beat to one drum.

I have to stand on eggshells with my language around USamericans as an example.

I think that is too idealistic. It could very easily go into a downward spiral that a community could never get out of. It happens already on several subreddits already. You may not have experienced it, but I can say it for certain happens. There have even been scifi series written about it that have taken the concept to the extreme.

requiring basic levels of karma most certainly is. You have to say the right things first to get the group approval before you can contribute.

So no free and open discussion then? Only approved group think will be allowed?

I understand the benifits of what you are asking, but those are the very things that lead Reddit to what it is now.