NF: Weird. Aside from the pain, I'm realizing that, after all, saying nothing is the best strategy in about 90% of occasions. I used to scream bloody murder at the idiocy of it all, but some discussions on political topics at work delivered the "shut up" message to me in a very effective way. It's weird - the fact that I get reprimanded for not believing in democracy has the effect of making me renounce the public expression of my opinions which, in turn, drives me to an actual disbelief in democracy that wasn't there in the first place. Talk about faulty communication.