Greetings!
Well, I certainly enjoy engaging in topical gaming discussions. However, honestly, such topics do not tend to be very robust or long lasting, especially when compared to political discussions. Strictly speaking, philosophically, you can have such separate discussions, but I do not believe they are that advantageous or positive, even though I may like them. I think it is much better to have freedom of speech, and to be free to engage in whatever discussion that people want to. I think of this place as kind of like getting together with my friends at the local Sunrise Café, or Texas Roadhouse, where we eat, drink, and hang out together, talking about whatever. When getting together with some buddies, having a cigar, having some drinks together, there's no person that comes over to your table and says, "Now now, we can't be discussing politics or religion!" Or whatever, you know? You talk about whatever you want. Beyond that, I also think that people gathering together engage in discussions that range about, or also include tangents, asides, references, and examples. That's just normal human socialization. It's the way we talk.
Then you have the dynamic where "politics" has become intertwined in EVERYTHING today. Whether for good or bad, that's just the way it is. In contrast, for example, you have the RPGPUB that attempts to remain "politics free" though there does seem to be some bias there. Regardless, overall such an environment seems to be artificially sweet, chewy and dull. I think that the overall tendency for being boring and dull is derived precisely from the impositions on freedom of speech, if that makes any sense. The discussions become stilted, and unnatural.
Having said all that, I think amongst friends we can police ourselves. "Hey, lets get the discussion back on topic" I think is fine, and welcome, for thread starters that want to keep a discussion focused. Then again, as I mentioned earlier, people naturally digress, go off on tangents and side arguments, cite examples, and on and on. I believe that is how we normally communicate with each other.
I am in favour of embracing freedom of speech.
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK