You said: If by the time that happens in full force, we're still mostly political naivetes with little understanding of how politics works in general or what drives particular political ideas, how is that going to work out well."

I think the debate here might rely on an unnecessary dichotomy, either I discuss politics on LW/in the rationalist community OR I will have little (or no) understanding.

Another solution would be to think of spaces to discuss politics which one can join.

I believe that we wont get a better understanding of politics by discussing it here, as its more of a form of empirical knowledge you acquire:

Some preliminary thoughts how to learn it outside LW or the rationalists community

• join or work (if you like just for a few months) for a political party, a member of parliaments
• go to debates from different political groups
• write about Public Policy solutions and disagreements
• help in a national campaign, you will learn a lot about the way of reasoning of people in politics
• join other platforms to discuss politics (if interested in AI and in the EU: (EU AI Alliance)

Other forms of learning more about politics which wouldnt be political by the definition above:

• learn and discuss (etc) political theory (by the definition above this is not "political")

Might add things later. I also have a few other ideas I can share in pm,