First, you need to come to common ground about the diagnosis of the issue. Only then can you start to talk about a prescription. If interlocutors skip the first step, there is no hope of agreeing on the second.

"The only problem politics can solve is generally preventing competing tribes from killing themselves in physical war.

Politics itself is incapable of solving any other problem, but could be used as a tool to solve your or your tribe's local problems if interference with other tribes is an issue. Solution duration will typically be very linearly dependent upon its amount of energy, motivation, and resources."

I don't agree with the above view, it has a fatalistic view of humanity that I emotionally can't accept, according to my religion anyway (which currently helps me out with food). I think that politics can definitely solve issues, and it solves issues for actual people and not corporations every day. It's just a matter of being a good citizen and contributing when you can.