I never talk about politics in real life. Other than perhaps my parents, I avoid politics completely in discussion with other people.
If there is a topic incidental to politics, but not actually political, I try to hard to focus on the actual realistic nature of the problem, rather than bring in political ideology.
But people figure me out. Two days ago, a good family friend from the US had visited, and we were just talking about medical lawsuits. I happened to say that the cost of excessive lawsuits is borne by doctors and in turn by honest patients. And he agreed with me. And then perhaps when HE, not I, brought up the matter of Bingham McCutchen, I was the one who said that I was impressed by them being well paid. And he says that he does not approve of their way of doing business, which is to sue corporations on litigations to make huge money. That’s where I agreed with him, and said that their business is just a compliance industry which ends up putting a burden on the rest of productive society.
Heh, I don’t know, it was a while later that he said, “I am going to guess that you are of the political persuasion called libertarian?” I told him yes. Of course, this was a man who claimed to be of centre-right leaning, but he managed to call me a libertarian on the basis of topics that he more or less raised.
Was I baited?[:O]