|
|
|
|
The discussion about G W Bush and Barack Obama made me wonder where we all are on the political right-left axis. Or maybe it is really off-topic for this forum?
Perhaps there is a sensible questionnaire about it. By 'sensible' I mean one that doesn't trivialise the issues.
Love,
Anthony
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anthony,
Quite some time ago NW recommended an online test at The Political Compass http://www.politicalcompass.org/index I remember that I took the test at that time and recorded the results. Before replying to your post now I took the test again - and I have recorded the results: there is not really much change in my stance. If you and a few others do this test and post here their results I will do so as well.
J F R
The paradox has often been noted that the United States, founded in secularism, is now the most religiose country in Christendom, while England, with an established church headed by its constitutional monarch, is among the least. (Richard Dawkins, 2006)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here are the results I got, JFR, to the test your link led me to.
Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -5.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.90
I've tried to attach the graph.
Love,
Anthony
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
timmy
|
 |
Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13751
|
|
|
interesting. I'm not sure I value this because soemeone else has interpreted my answers within their frame of reference, though.
It differs from my own intellectual perception of myself.
[Updated on: Thu, 19 November 2009 13:52]
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It does not differ from my perception of you.
My own results were very similar to yours:
Left-Right: -3.25 Libertarian-Authoritarian: -3.64
J F R
The paradox has often been noted that the United States, founded in secularism, is now the most religiose country in Christendom, while England, with an established church headed by its constitutional monarch, is among the least. (Richard Dawkins, 2006)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Very interesting, Anthony. You will find my results in my reply to Timmy. All three who have posted results so far are in the "libertarian" sector and left of centre to some degree or other.
J F R
The paradox has often been noted that the United States, founded in secularism, is now the most religiose country in Christendom, while England, with an established church headed by its constitutional monarch, is among the least. (Richard Dawkins, 2006)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
So, here's mine:
Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -4.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.82
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
timmy
|
|
Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13751
|
|
|
The questions were framed in such a way that it was impossible to have the shades of authority and shades of liberty my psyche requires. It felt all or nothing. I'm not at all unhappy with where I sit, just a little surprised.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
timmy
|
|
Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13751
|
|
|
I believe in the free market economy, but I believe in regulation to ensure fairness and true competition. I am a capitalist and always will be.
I love the ideal of socialism. Everywhere I have seen it deployed I have seen it fail. The closest I have heard of with regard to success is the co-operative environment of the kibbutz, and yet I do not necessarily believe that I would be comfortable as a part of such a co-operative.
The UK is a socialist state, to a large degree. We deliver benefits to the needy and health services to the unwell. We have state funded pensions. I find that comfortable, but I pay for it in taxes.
We are a surveillance state, too. We have CCTV watching our CCTV cameras! They do not reduce crime, they simply provide blurred pictures in which the criminal cannot, so far, be identified. We have a proposed national database of all of our doings, linked to a national identity card. We have a database of all of our children from birth to age 18. Take DNA from us in a police enquiry and that stays on file for life, even if we are guilty of no crime. I find that very uncomfortable, and I pay for it in taxes.
The UK is currently a safe nation in which to say "I am a gay man." I am not yet comfortable with that because I see the word "currently" and I see the BNP on the horizon.
We have Human Rights legislation, delegated from Europe. In the main I am comfortable with that.
We have other regulations, like not climbing a ladder to change a lightbulb unless you have had ladder training (at work). I find that perplexing. I am astounded by that
I am libertarian unless that affects my own liberty. I believe in rights with responsibilities You have many rights until they impinge upon my rights. I do not see that as a political sidedness at all
There is so much that I, as a capitalist, feel is eroded by socialism that I am perplexed that I am so far left of centre. But that is primarily because the UK is and has been for a good many years, left of centre itself, whichever party is in power, even under Thatcher. Some folk will have to look at that very carefully to see what I describe.
Compare this with the USA under Bush which almost became a right wing isolationist religious fundamentalist dictatorship, and you start to see why the UK and the USA will never be congruent, politically. Obama and the Democrats are our Cameron and the Conservatives, in all but a few policy differences. So perhaps the quiz is US politics based, where shrubbery is to the right and Obamaness is to the left? I don't know.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
And mine, Timmy. I would have put you down as much further to the right!
Pure prejudice on my part, I suppose!
Love,
Anthony
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Macky
|
 |
Really getting into it |
Location: USA
Registered: November 2008
Messages: 973
|
|
|
Economic Left/Right: -4.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.59
Not sure what the numbers mean, but I was quite happy about being in the same quadrant as Gandhi. Makes me sort of proud of myself.
Macky
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity!
Ps 133:1 NASB
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The adverbs in the questions made them hard to answer truthfully. That's why I hate questionnaires. They are written to make you give the answer the questioner wants. You need to be able to write or speak a free answer.
One question was whether rehabilitation of prisoners is more important than punishment. Fine. I would say yes to rehabilitation, but I would also say lock them up to protect us on the outside.
I am surprised at my result.
Hugs
N
I dream of boys with big bulges in their trousers,
Never of girls with big bulges in their blouses.
…and look forward to meeting you in Cóito.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NW's results:
Economic Left/Right: -9.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.08
I think this places me rather further Left than the couple of other times I've taken the test - some of the questions do change from time to time. And I seem to be a little less libertarian than I remember myself ...
Nevertheless, the general result is well down in the lower left quadrant - which is certainly where I'd expect to find myself!
"The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. ... Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night devoid of stars." Martin Luther King
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Economic Left/Right -2.62
Soc. Lib./Authortarian -3.08
Wow, almost a direct match with Ghandi and not that far off from Timmy.
aqua
There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable love. Washington Irving
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
saben
|
 |
On fire! |
Registered: May 2003
Messages: 1537
|
|
|
Economic Left/Right: 4.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.82
Not too surprised with my results. It is a skewed test, though, as timmy says.
The problem is that in order to get a "right" result you need to LIKE big companies.
I believe in free markets. I'm a radical capitalist that believes (theoretically) that redistributive taxation is immoral. I believe in abolition of tarrifs, the minimum wage and the vast majority of regulation. This is "pro-business" in a sense, but that doesn't mean I like businesses or think businesses necessarily benefit people. I just believe that it is immoral to tax or regulate.
Too often "right wing" is seen as pro-business. But a capitalist is not pro-business, they are pro-freedom and pro-market. I am more radically right than the Republican Party, but because of the test equating right with pro-business I seem more left than the Republican Party line.
[Updated on: Fri, 20 November 2009 02:08]
Look at this tree. I cannot make it blossom when it suits me nor make it bear fruit before its time [...] No matter what you do, that seed will grow to be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange, but you will get a peach.
Master Oogway
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
saben
|
|
On fire! |
Registered: May 2003
Messages: 1537
|
|
|
http://www.theadvocates.org/quizp/index.html
Here's another quiz- it's smaller but the questions are also not as emotionally loaded.
This one is not from a neutral website, however. It's from a libertarian website so the questions themselves may be a little loaded so as to skew responses a little.
[Updated on: Fri, 20 November 2009 02:18]
Look at this tree. I cannot make it blossom when it suits me nor make it bear fruit before its time [...] No matter what you do, that seed will grow to be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange, but you will get a peach.
Master Oogway
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'm a sucker for tests, Saben. I got 100% on personal and 20% on economic. I don't seem able to cut and paste the picture.
Love,
Anthony
[Updated on: Fri, 20 November 2009 09:30] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
timmy
|
|
Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13751
|
|
|
I would say that the questions are loaded.
-
Attachment: draw.php.png
(Size: 25.70KB, Downloaded 275 times)
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
|
|
|
|
|
Goto Forum:
|
] 
A Place of Safety
Search
Help
Register
Login
Home
