When you leave the high control of the JWS, you were used to your words, thoughts, and ability to explore new ideas and disagree, to have challenging discussions. I think the politics turn into too many threads on the same subject, also there is not enough discussing of policy, philosophy, and history. I do feel political discussion in this JW forum is a barometer for peoples tolerance of your expressing different opinions.
I have friends on this board that in our own group chat off of her disagree about several things (political) and the discussions are intense, but they are always about the issues, the disagreement and debate is at a high level. And everyone remains close regardless of how intense it gets.
So I see politics and social issues as a barometer for EXJWS how much they allow themselves to understand things first before speaking about them, especially emotionally. Also how they engage disagreement, and it's interesting to see who resorts to the old tactics first, of demonizing the person with the opposing thought, appealing to emotion over logic. Politics, especially in today polarized divide, is a good mental exercise for how you approach the debate. Not which view you hold.
When we discuss these things we should always try to reaffirm what the other person actually believes, and discuss from there because many times we all share the same big principles. I have tried to dig at some opponents on here in political discussions only to find they seem to have no point of view, they are just angry. I find it an interesting exercise in how far each of us has come to combat groupthink and come to our own opinions out of facts, not the raw emotion of the group.