Your Political Compass.

Swimmingtrunks · Post by **Swimmingtrunks** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 7:45 am

Not surprised.

Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -5.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.13

http://www.politicalcompass.org/printab ... &soc=-5.13

Ergo, my hopes of having a president anywhere near my political standing are pretty much delusional.

Jim North · Post by **Jim North** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:10 am

Tellurider wrote:Actually I've lost my point. I hate communism. Can you tell?

You also have a lot of terrible misconceptions about what communism is supposed to be! But of course you can't be blamed . . . as I intimated before, the communist states that we've seen recently haven't exactly been stellar ones for the most part*, and of course we've been raised in a society in which communism is the enemy, a horrible thing to be avoided.

Though Marx wrote very little about what life under a communist system would be like, it would appear from that very little that he intended people to truly be free. They could do any job they liked without being absolutely tied down to it, society at large would determine what would be done with the products that they made, and as long as they put in whatever work they can, everyone would get what they need . . . which means that, no, not everyone has exactly the same stuff. There would be no private property, sure, but that's actually very different from not having personal property.

Despite being classless, individuality is by no means squashed by communism. In fact, it pretty well promotes individualism by allowing people to do as they wish with their lives as long as they contribute to the whole. Just because they don't insanely overcompensate many of their "special" people like we do here doesn't mean that no one is special or considered so. And, heck, many of the truly special people here have just as much chance of being completely ignored as they would under any other system.

And since communism is actually supposed to be stateless, the state obviously wouldn't be able to tell anyone what to do.

*Most of the so-called communist countries have actually been closer to socialist than anything else. And they weren't exactly stellar examples of socialist states, either. It's just that the terms "socialist" and "communist" have been used interchangeably for the longest time. While they are very closely related (socialism is often considered one of the stepping stones from capitalism to communism, though it is a valid economic/governmental system in its own right), there are many fundamental differences.

Communism has its faults, of course, just like any other economic, governmental, or social system . . . but it's not the big bad boogeyman folks like to make it out to be, either.

Jops · Post by **Jops** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:38 am

Totally seconding what Jim said, I guess i couldn't word it better.

And here's my compass:

Economic Left/Right: -7.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.82

Mr.Bob · Post by **Mr.Bob** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:38 am

I'm still the most sinister leftist!

Robin Pierce · Post by **Robin Pierce** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:43 am

Economic Left/Right: -3.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.46

Lefty. I'm not surprised.
http://www.politicalcompass.org/printab ... &soc=-6.46

[AlmightyPyro] · Post by **[AlmightyPyro]** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:16 am

I'm slightly surprised, but I also think I took a couple questions out of context, or looked into them too much. Ah well.

Economic Left/Right: -2.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.49

http://www.politicalcompass.org/printab ... &soc=-3.49

Also, me and Czar are really close.

NakedElf · Post by **NakedElf** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:29 am

Economic Left/Right: -7.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.85
<a href="http://www.politicalcompass.org/printab ... -7.85">Meh graph</a>

Some of the questions are biased or badly written. For example, "Should a person who refuses to do a job they could do expect to be supported by society?" (or something to that effect.) No, they shouldn't because they're not going to be (at least here in the US), and expecting money to come in when it won't is a quick way to end up homeless. This is a different question from "Should society support people who refuse to work?" which is an actual question about politics, not whether or not people should acquaint themselves with reality.

Or "Land shouldn't be a commodity to be bought and sold." Well, actually, I think land should be regarded as a common good to which the government may grant certain people exclusive rights in exchange for reimbursing the rest of society for their now lack-of-access. Or in other words, I think people should be able to rent land. The right of access can be bought and sold, but the land itself is still regarded as a communal good. It's hard to determine, therefore, whether I agree or disagree with this statement, but I'll put 'agree' just because my thoughts on the matter run counter to the traditional buying and selling of land model.

Eh, I'm complaining that a 2-d mapping of political opinions doesn't completely and utterly reflect reality :P Next up, Mercator, and why Greenland's always distorted!

[AlmightyPyro] · Post by **[AlmightyPyro]** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:36 am

I do agree that some of the questions seem a bit biased, and that these type things aren't that reliable, but it's still neat to see the results.

NakedElf · Post by **NakedElf** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:38 am

[AlmightyPyro] wrote:I do agree that some of the questions seem a bit biased, and that these type things aren't that reliable, but it's still neat to see the results.

Oh, I know. :) It's just a side effect of taking classes on this sort of thing that I end up grousing about it. :P

Tellurider · Post by **Tellurider** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:53 am

I had some trouble with that stuff on the economic standpoint. I mean, no, I don't think that corporations should take over the world, and I think that companies should get in trouble for false marketing - but at the same time, I don't think that the government should mess with companies that come up with something awesome that everyone wants (like microsoft) and insist that they split up, and I also believe in caveat emptor.

The problem with all systems of government is what I like to call the asshole factor. Some people are assholes. They don't have a moral code, or if they do, it's not one that allows them to function as a useful member of society. The problem is that the assholes crave power, hence they usually infiltrate the government then kill millions of people (Stalin, Hitler) or embezzle tons of money (members of congress, other representatives, ad infinitum).

Really, a few people ruin it for the rest of us, and all the argument about government is really an argument about how to deal with the asshole factor.

Grabmygoblin · Post by **Grabmygoblin** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 12:21 pm

surprise surprise
Economic Left/Right: -7.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.18

Mr.Bob · Post by **Mr.Bob** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 12:32 pm

Nooo! I have been ousted!

*hands over the Loony Lefty crown to grabmygoblin*

RobertBlake · Post by **RobertBlake** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:25 pm

Heh... I've taken this before.

Economic Left/Right: -5.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.87

http://www.politicalcompass.org/printab ... &soc=-4.87

Right around the Dalai Lama.

Grabmygoblin · Post by **Grabmygoblin** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:51 pm

Mr.Bob wrote:Nooo! I have been ousted!

*hands over the Loony Lefty crown to grabmygoblin*

*is bitten by the crazed duck Bobbins glued to a hat*

umm, thanks?

Rkolter · Post by **Rkolter** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:56 pm

Tellurider wrote:I had some trouble with that stuff on the economic standpoint. I mean, no, I don't think that corporations should take over the world, and I think that companies should get in trouble for false marketing - but at the same time, I don't think that the government should mess with companies that come up with something awesome that everyone wants (like microsoft) and insist that they split up, and I also believe in caveat emptor.

How is it then that our numbers are so different? I thought the same way.

I bet you want people to have free health insurance. What kind of right wing nut are you?

Laemkral · Post by **Laemkral** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 1:56 pm

Economic Left/Right: -5.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.38

http://www.politicalcompass.org/printab ... &soc=-3.38

Tellurider · Post by **Tellurider** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:06 pm

rkolter wrote:
Tellurider wrote:I had some trouble with that stuff on the economic standpoint. I mean, no, I don't think that corporations should take over the world, and I think that companies should get in trouble for false marketing - but at the same time, I don't think that the government should mess with companies that come up with something awesome that everyone wants (like microsoft) and insist that they split up, and I also believe in caveat emptor.
How is it then that our numbers are so different? I thought the same way.

I bet you want people to have free health insurance. What kind of right wing nut are you?

TANSTAAFL

There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

Free health insurance is not free. You still have to pay for it. I don't think that I have the right to demand free service from a doctor, just because they happen to know medicine and I don't. People should be compensated for their skills.

However, for the US at least, if jackasses stopped suing doctors for intensely stupid reasons, they wouldn't have such high malpractice insurance, and medical bills would be way cheaper.

Also, don't give me that Michael Moore crap, I have no health insurance and my current plan is to not get sick or injured.

Damn commies.

Jops · Post by **Jops** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:14 pm

Mr.Bob wrote:Nooo! I have been ousted!

*hands over the Loony Lefty crown to grabmygoblin*

I contend that crown actually: i'm as lefty as she is.

Mr.Bob · Post by **Mr.Bob** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:18 pm

Whaat? I never saw that before. You edited your post!

Sketchywallflowr · Post by **Sketchywallflowr** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 2:36 pm

Economic Left/Right: -6.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.44

That was tough, cuz there wasn't a "Who gives a shit?" option. Like art that isn't representative shouldn't be called art? What the hell do I care what it's called! Whatever makes you happy don't affect me much!