[simonsarris]

Or last night's football game, which just got political?

What are colleagues allowed to talk about, exactly? If we "just don't talk about politics" the end result will be everyone talking and engaging less on any mildly controversial topic (which now includes "the game last night"), and since this cannot be avoided, they will simply talk and engage less altogether.

I don't think that's acceptable, so I don't think "keep politics out of the workplace" is acceptable.

(And what if you are a journalist, coal miner, wind turbine installer, or any number of professions that is in some way involved with the government or politics, which a non-trivial number of jobs?)

[quotemstr]

Ideally, we'd be able to talk about any topic. But right now, the country is divided into two equal halves, each of which thinks the other is the ultimate evil, the enemy beyond reason, the Other which must be excised from the tribe for the safety of all.

Given this political climate, which isn't changing soon, and given the business need to work together toward common goals, then no, we can't let politics into the workplace. At all. Even if it means that we need to skip talking about the political aspect of last night's game.

Extreme ideologues have ruined it for everyone. This is why we can't have nice things.

[simonsarris]

I agree with your diagnosis but not with your cure.

We should not fear politics and people discussing politics. We should be fearing those extreme ideologues.

Don't ostracize political discussion. Ostracize acting like an extreme ideologue.