For the past five years or so, I prefer discussing current events with conservatives - not because I think they are closer to truth, but because they are willing to be a good sport in a conversation. This has nothing to do with political parties, which are both dumpster fires. Maybe Republicans started earlier with Tea Party and got worse, but Democrats are heading in the same direction after Occupy Wall Street. And I realize that conservatives are not super tolerant of rowdy burn cars/block highway protests. But in actual intellectual conversations, they are the champs. Sad because I though tech liberals were supposed to be brainy and open minded.
I think you've simply found the "able-to-have-these-convos conservatives" to have these discussions with and haven't found the "able-to-have-these-convos liberals". Note that I hate using these categories. Anyway, in my personal experience almost all the people I can think of that I have deep political discussions with who may fall into the latter camp almost never discuss politics online, for various reasons.
You might get cancelled for discussing things with the wrong people, despite what you say. Especially if you get on a podcast to discuss things with a conservative figure.
One might get cancelled for liking or sharing the wrong Tweet or FB post. Even if the content of the liked or shared comment is non-controversial, if the wrong person said it, you can get cancelled.
I remember when my left leaning daughter made one of her very first tweets, it was a policy question related to immigration. (It was related to questioning why the US has birthright citizenship -- a topic being covered in one of her HS courses.)
In seconds the hate tweets and retweets started from progressives...I jumped out of bed (it was kind of late at night) and ran into her room to suggest/implore that she delete the tweet and her entire account and never share anything like that again.
Saved her life that night. Though, I am thankful that she did learn her lesson without much cost.
