While I certainly agree that off-the-grid communes aren't the solution for everyone and that intentional communities can have problems, I also think these communities can work out and have a lot of value beyond people living next to each other. Intentional utopian communities have long been met with criticism that they don't "work" or are always "cultish" as ways to discourage people from trying any sort of alternative living arrangements. There are plenty of examples of these communities that have worked out and I highly recommend the book, Everyday Utopia for an in-depth discussion on this topic.
"Likeminded" and "diversity" can mean many different things. I certainly agree that we don't need more polarization and that many people have lost the ability to deal with others with different viewpoints. With inequality the way it is, then the people that can afford to live next to you are going to be very similar in demographics. Making friends with your neighbors is not necessarily going to make for a more diverse community than creating one where everyone has a specific goal in mind.
Also, many people value a likeminded community on certain aspects because they have a stigmatized or marginalized identity/status.
Living off-the-grid does not mean rejecting all of modernity. Very few intentional communities are actually off-the-grid. Almost all off-grid ones have indoor plumbing, fridges, and some of type of heating/cooling system. It is not a turn to the past and it's certainly not feudalism because there are no peasants working to maintain the land.
For me, I have been living in a small intentional community (co-own a house with 5 people) and am interested in something more involved in the future. I want this because I want to live a more nature-focused life. I also want to have a lower cost of living so that my community and myself don't have to work fulltime jobs that we hate. I want the freedom to be choosy and the ability to provide that opportunity to others. I still plan to be engaged with the outside world and have the hope that if more people do something like this then people will be able to be more choosy with everything.
If I can help others to not live paycheck to paycheck or to quit a job that has poor benefits, all while living a more sustainable lifestyle, then its worth it. If enough people do this then companies and structures will have to change to deal with a workforce that can opt out.
