This only works for Arlo and others who don't want to see these threads if the mods make sure to move (without exempt) every "world issues" topic from general discussion to politics, e.g. these two recent threads:

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=218846&page=1

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=218896&page=1

Additional suggestion from me: A site administrator changes the site settings so that threads from the politics sub-forum only appear under "latest topics" and "my topics" but not under "hot topics" or on the frontpage.

I do but they still appear on my feed.

You have the option filter it out, like others have said. But you're hurt feelings nor anyone else's should never dictate what content goes on this site. Only the site's rules should.

On a side note, I don't know where you are from (I am American), but I feel a lot of Americans don't know much about world news. A lot of us don't care about things that are happening in politics or in our neighborhood, either. Ignoring information for the sake of ignorant bliss doesn't make all of these things go away, though.

With information comes power. Even if you decide to use those filters, if you ever want to get out of your bubble and learn about others, the news is a great source. Just don't let it give you a confirmation bias that everything in the world is bad. Reporting about kids birthdays, kittens, and rainbows doesn't make for interesting or educating stories.

It works if you use the hot topics tab in the forums but hiding politics doesn't block them when you see hot threads on the VGC homepage.

I just realised we recently passed the 8 millionth post and nobody celebrated it. VGC used to be fun

Edit: it's a games list http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=8000000

Ignore and move on, that's the only way

Good idea.

Maybe it would be already sufficient if you removed "general discussion" altogether. This would "force" people to put these unsettling and often controversial world news - which are often not about politics in the first place but turn into a political discussion within a few posts (as seen in the two threads about the incidents in Germany) - into the politics section right away.

Side effects (if done in combination with my suggestion before about banning threads posted in the politics section from hot topics/front page):

Less work for the mods and only harmless, but for some members interesting off-topic threads - like, say, discussions of latest boxoffce results - would be visible on the frontpage/in hot topics for everyone (unless they haven't deactivated the specific off-topic sub-forums).

Just don't read those threads? Don't click on the political discussions? Seems easy enough.

If it get's too much for me I leave the thread. I try not to make emotional or angry posts and I'm not on here to have a bad time, so if I feel like I can't discuss something calmly I try to avoid it.

I generally agree with you and how you feel about all of it, but I am also glad that we have a community here that is willing to discuss such topics in depth. I do think that some posters create threads purely for shock value, or pose questions that have potential to cross a lot of moral boundaries - things about incest, molestation, etc and I wish we could get less of those but,

It is what it is.