Well perhaps the normal practice is cult-like and dissent-suppressing and this is an atypical break. Kind of like the fat person who starts eating salad instead of nachos while he watches football. And congratulates himself on his healthy eating even though he is still having donuts for breakfast and hamburgers and french fries for lunch.

Seems to me the test for suppression of dissent is not when a high-status person criticizes. The real test is when someone with medium or low status speaks out.

And my impression is that lesswrong does have problems along these lines. Not as bad as other discussion groups, but still.