1. Got facts wrong, apparently. I'm not in a situation to know whether it did, but it seems to have, and articles that seem wrong do get flaggedby users, presumably to prevent spreading mistruths.

2. It criticized the USA. I read HN via http://www.hckrnews.com/ and thus get to see a lot of the flagged articles even long after they're dead. Articles that criticize the USA are always in that category. That doesn't mean all of HN flags those, just that there is a critical mass of users with the necessary amount of karma who dislike them.

On point 1, facts. I haven't found where to dispute the articles facts yet. Where the commenters dispute it's actually an issue of perception.

- [1] Predetory Loan and banking services such as ACE that market to predominant poor neighborhoods has a negative impact that is documented in study and pop [2]

- [3] the initial argument by power user tptacek is that the author didn't bother to check poor white parts of the country. If you assume this article was about something other than black poverty, okay I understand the argument. But it was about poverty effecting the black community.

So I don't see the factual problem.

1. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9516861 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDylgzybWAw 3. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9516769

However, do note i said "seems wrong", not "is wrong".

As for flagging things that are critical, i don't find it very surprising. If someone from outside your country suddenly starts saying strong things about your country it can easily become difficult to differentiate between earnest criticism and trolling, even for one who has little patriotism.

2. "bad story" is subjective and many disagree. I didn't know that disagreeing with opinion was reason to flag.

but anyway, you're a power user. do what you like.