Is anyone here a *dramatic pause* Libertanian?

[superiorsavior]

I was just wondering how many of the show's fans generally support Matt and Trey's general political ideology. If we had a Libertanian party in England, i'd be a left-libertanian (The political compass test from S_J's politics thread said I was a cross breed of Stalin and the Dali Lamma!) but I know very few people vote for the party in the US, so I'd love to here if anyone's a Libertanian.

[teh-lolrus]

I'd pretty much be a Libertarian if I also supported an economic free-for-all, according to that political compass thing.

I did the quiz early on for an AP Gov thing a while back and I turned up a Democrat (so I've heard). I'm rather liberal on social issues, but I support government intervention and regulation on economics- so the poor won't get kicked around by the wealthy, which I hate (because my family's not that wealthy anyways, haha).

Basically, I'm for social freedom/liberty and regulated economics.

[superiorsavior]

Again I ask, are you me Lolrus? That puts my beliefs into words far better than I did. I'd say your a left-libertanian though. Democrats arn't into social liberalism, they oppose free speach in certain areas (when it suits them), oppose the legalisation of mahrijuahna (but let Eli Lilly sell their wares without going to the FDA), and have a much lower cut off point for social liberalism than social libertanians, who basically say if something isn't hurting anyone it's OK.

I'm the 'rich, posh and detatched from the real world' kind of liberal though myself

[Big-Will]

Couldn't you come up with a more creative thread title?

[gtaca2005]

What does this make me?

[superiorsavior]

A GOD!

I don't think that's quite your diagram, even if you are though. You have no point.

I'm Economic Left/Right: -5.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.64

[teh-lolrus]

Again I ask, are you me Lolrus? That puts my beliefs into words far better than I did. I'd say your a left-libertanian though. Democrats arn't into social liberalism, they oppose free speach in certain areas (when it suits them), oppose the legalisation of mahrijuahna (but let Eli Lilly sell their wares without going to the FDA), and have a much lower cut off point for social liberalism than social libertanians, who basically say if something isn't hurting anyone it's OK.

I dunno. I think my way of thinking was the response to the way I've been brought up. I've been kicked around for being poor by guess who...conservatives, haha. Perhaps that's why I'm the way I am.

Am I actually learing anything in that AP Gov class or not...?

[marvel_freak_42]

You could say I am, mostly because I'm very secular and in social issues I'm pretty lefty. Don't wanna go into a lot of boring details.

[johnnyroisinupurbow]

lol you took that random girl's thread title.BUT i really don't give a sh*t about this stuff. (i come from a redneck state)

[ShaneHaughey]

Lolz.

Anyway, whatever works for people works. Rock on, don't rock, pop, whatever, have a good time.

[triplemultiplex]

I've taken the political compass test a few times over the last 4 years or so. I always wind up in the Ghandi/Mandela region of the lower left quadrant.

Last time I did it, though, they didn't have this graphic:

Methinks it says a lot about the United States.

[Olivia42]

I've taken this test before, but only after retaking it today have I realized that it kind of sucks for a few reasons.

First, there's no option for undecided/neutral/it depends on the situation. I would have chosen "depends" for about half of those answers.

Second, some of the questions were ridiculous. Why the hell is it asking about abstract art and astrology? That's aesthetic theory and superstition, respectively, not politics. I understand how certain opinions could correlate with political views, but I'm not buying that they are included in political views.

[PIPaul]

First, there's no option for undecided/neutral/it depends on the situation. I would have chosen "depends" for about half of those answers.

The best thing about the quizz in my view. If people answer 'meh' they really mean 'i don't have a clue' half the time. You have to support the issue one way or the other, if you're forced with a gun to your head. You would if the situation ever effected your lives, which most of that does indirectly.

My dad likes to say he's got no oppinion on any political issue. If he took the test, he'd middle it on over half the questions: what oppinion would he get, if the meh was a O value? It'd massively inflate the effect of other oppinions on his final score. Middling it wouldn't give a clear indication of your views: you DO have a view yes or no on EVERY issue, just sometimes your oppinion is so tiny or apparently obvious (you don't see where your 'middle' is in relation to other people's) it's hard to find. I'm glad there's no option for middling, even if it makes it harder to answer.

Second, some of the questions were ridiculous.

Not really sure how they work out the numbers, but it correlates with all the people I've tried it on. I think these give quite a strong indcation of your SOCIAL views (poltical oppinion has been linked strongly with charactar traits) for those who wouldn't be able to answer on abstract issues accurately. It's a very good test, though it has an obvious libertanian bias.

Methinks it says a lot about the United States.

LOOK AT THE UK VERSION! If you dare, it's farther up and right than that. We have some in the Nietzche/Rand lower right corner...

[Olivia42]

If people answer 'meh' they really mean 'i don't have a clue' half the time. You have to support the issue one way or the other, if you're forced with a gun to your head. You would if the situation ever effected your lives, which most of that does indirectly.

In my experience, precisely the opposite is true. The more I learn about something, the less eager I am to make a difinitive judgment on it. When you examine all sides of the issues presented in some of those questions, you will learn that they are far too complex to be boiled down to "agree" or "disagree."

Not really sure how they work out the numbers, but it correlates with all the people I've tried it on. I think these give quite a strong indcation of your SOCIAL views (poltical oppinion has been linked strongly with charactar traits) for those who wouldn't be able to answer on abstract issues accurately.

One of the first things you learn in rational economic or philisophical theory is that correlation does not equal causation. Political theorists can agree that best way to define "politics" is to say that it has to do with power: who has it, who should have it, and what should be done with it.* Thus, your personal opinion on homosexuality, for example, is irrelavent. I know plenty of people who think it's wrong, but think the government should stay out of their personal lives, and plenty more who have no problem with it, but think marriage should still stay between a man and a woman. I'm not saying these are right or justified, but they are legitimate viewpoints that are wrongly generalized in this particular test.

*Anyone can feel free to contest me on that, as I have no immediate reference.

[superiorsavior]

No, I think you're right here. Politics is all about power. But the best way of discerning someone's opinions on social issues may indeed be to ask, should gays get married or drugs be legal, rather than are they right/wrong. But it's harder to get people to answer. I still believe it's useful to not have a 'middle' box, because that way, a lot of people will say they have no oppinion on the issue, which when push comes to shove and you HAVE TO make a decision on it (voting time) really isn't going to be usefull in the slightest.