Political Compass III

[The_J]

http://www.politicalcompass.org/test

Some of the questions on this test are really dumb. For instance: "Breaking International law is sometimes justified." I mean, I agree with that, because I don't trust any government, least of all a WORLD one, not because I want to invade a country every year... Not trusting international law should not make one authoritarian.

just saw this question:

A significant advantage of a one-party state is that it avoids all the arguments that delay progress in a democratic political system.

I agree with the statement, but it doesn't mean that i think it's a good thing.



Economic Left/Right: -6.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.03



mmhh...not sure if i like that.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

In my opinion, the PC is measuring left/right with communism at the farthest left, then socialism, mixed economy at the center, Keynesianism at the center-right, and the Chicago school at the far right. Thus, they are correct in saying Obama is center-right.

 

[squadbroken]

just saw this question:


I agree with the statement, but it doesn't mean that i think it's a good thing.

It's not asking whether or not having only one party speeds up the process - that's a given - it's asking whether or not it's an advantage. I'd say the lack of debate hurts a democratic political system.

 

[mythmonster2]

Check out my sig. Green quadrant represent!

 

[BuckeyeJim]

Economic Left/Right: -1.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.18

That's about right!

 

[choxorn]

I agree with the statement, but it doesn't mean that i think it's a good thing.

And the FAQ specifically adresses that, saying that if you don't think it's a good thing because of the lack of discussion, etc., you should answer that you disagree.

 

[Cutlass]

I think the questions have changed a bit, but I'm not certain. I'm still in the general area that I have been all along.

Economic Left/Right: -4.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.74

 

[GhostWriter16]

In my opinion, the PC is measuring left/right with communism at the farthest left, then socialism, mixed economy at the center, Keynesianism at the center-right, and the Chicago school at the far right. Thus, they are correct in saying Obama is center-right.

That's the problem, Keynesianism is NOT center-right, its leftist.

By the way, I have to agree with Domination at some level, many of the questions are really weird and could be answered with really any of the options depending on the circumstances (and circumstances are important). Example: the interference in foreign countries bit. I would agree with the bin Laden operation, but not with, for example, CIA's past of meddling with coup d'etats in Latin America.

Exactly. And, actually, respecting International Law could be more authoritarian, just like wanting the Federal Government to pass laws instead of letting the states pass their own could be seen that way. Then again, it COULD be argued that intervening in other countries is authoritarian as well. The Libertarian option would be allowing for sensible foreign policy regardless of International Law.

I think however, that the tests slants everything too much to the left (yes, Obama is even more right ). It's mostly due to the difference between leftist intentions and leftist policies, I'd say.

I'd say for some people who take the test, they come out more left than they do, but when they scale the politicians, they come out more right than they should.

Are you suggesting Obama is far on the right?

 

[mythmonster2]

That's the problem, Keynesianism is NOT center-right, its leftist.

Here in America, true. In Europe/most of the rest of the world, no.

Are you suggesting Obama is far on the right?

Ditto. America is simply a more conservative country than most of Europe/Rest of the world.

 

[Hygro]

That's the problem, Keynesianism is NOT center-right, its leftist.

This is why no one is taking your complaints seriously. Keynes, someone who admired F.A. Hayek's work "The Road to Serfdom" expanded classical economics (ala John Stuart Mills) to include some things it didn't before, and then justified that IF we wanted greater economic output, we should ensure that demand is always up to capacity, which it wasn't during times of depression/recession. Keynes was a free market capitalist whose economic policies were designed to maximize free market capitalism by not letting it cannibalize itself.

Keynesianism is closer to Austrian Economics than it is to Marxian and other economics and philosophy that is actually on the left.

 

[.Shane.]

Moderator Action: I'm putting all the self-steretyping on hold for a few while I evaluate some RP's. tsk tsk, making me spend time on a Monday night to check on some shenanigans.

 

[.Shane.]

Its an awful quiz TBH.

Moderator Action: And yet, here you are taking it and arguing w/ people in this thread.

Communist/socialist/moron giving money to those too lazy to work, whatever definition fits there is no way I am on the left side of the spectrum.

And you, Domination, an autistic teenager from a far-right fundamentalist background, are really qualified to speculate about people's places on the political spectrum? I mean absolutely no offence at all, but really, Domination, stop viewing other people through your own lens - people with AS/autism need to avoid doing that more than anyone.

Nato, you don't appear to have a heart either if you actually mean what you just typed.

If you actually respond to what I wrote, then we can discuss. If not, please leave me be.

Good advice

Not to sent the thread into perhaps one of the greatest tangental arguments every, but it is quite relavent. Autism, and particularly Aspergers, is characterized by an apparent inability to empathize with others. This comes from the whole 'viewing it through there eyes' sort of stuff. Your insistance at viewing everything through your metrics but not theirs, to the point where you exclude their metrics after they told you, is quite indicative of an inability to take the view of others.

So, rather than start reading through this minor stuff, which is bordering on getting worse, I'll leave you w/ the general admonishment to start a new thread if you want to discuss whatever artificial, self-defined term you want to bicker about. Let's also not worry about why people post or what... I hope we all get the point.

TBH, I was pleasantly surprised by the posts for the first ~3 pages or so especially. Can we return to that please?

 

[Arwon]

Economic Left/Right: -2.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.00

Which I think is pretty much what my sig already says.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

That's the problem, Keynesianism is NOT center-right, its leftist.

It's capitalist. So, in the grand scheme of things, it's rightist. However, since it favors interventionism, it is center-right.

EDIT: That's probably a stupid explanation, but I'm not an economist, so...

 

[ZeletDude]

I took it a few days ago and I'm some where in the -2.03 -2.00 area or somewhere around there.

 

[timtofly]

I was "shooting" for center:

The Political Compass
Economic Left/Right: 1.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.23

 

[Cutlass]

It's capitalist. So, in the grand scheme of things, it's rightist. However, since it favors interventionism, it is center-right.

EDIT: That's probably a stupid explanation, but I'm not an economist, so...

That's close enough for current purposes. Keynes himself thought that Marx and Marxism added nothing to the understanding of economics. And all he did was recommend government activism to stabilize capitalism. After Keynes died, the American Keynesians became complacent, and stuck to the same 'capitalism with intervention' formula. Some of the European Keynesians did drift towards socialism. But that was simply a piece of the general drift towards socialism that much of Europe experienced. They weren't true socialists, but rather something of a hybrid. But the Americans never moved towards socialism at all, really.

 

[Zack]

I was "shooting" for center:

The Political Compass
Economic Left/Right: 1.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.23

Great. Now take it without shooting for a specific score, so we can see what you're really like.

 

[Leoreth]

I'd say for some people who take the test, they come out more left than they do, but when they scale the politicians, they come out more right than they should.

Are you suggesting Obama is far on the right?

Why should "normal people" and politicians perform differently?

Obama isn't really "far right", but I don't associate that term much with the economic spectrum anyways. All I'm trying that in a test that obviously tries to map worldwide politics (as evidenced by their selection of famous politicians they portray), most American politicians (including most democrats) fall into the categories center-right, right, and further right.

That's close enough for current purposes. Keynes himself thought that Marx and Marxism added nothing to the understanding of economics. And all he did was recommend government activism to stabilize capitalism. After Keynes died, the American Keynesians became complacent, and stuck to the same 'capitalism with intervention' formula. Some of the European Keynesians did drift towards socialism. But that was simply a piece of the general drift towards socialism that much of Europe experienced. They weren't true socialists, but rather something of a hybrid. But the Americans never moved towards socialism at all, really.

Interesting, because Keynesian policies are really more often invoked by the left on our side of the pond.

 

[GhostWriter16]

Why should "normal people" and politicians perform differently?

Well, normal people actually take the test, actually answer the questions. Politicians are somewhat arbitrarily placed on the spectrum based on how the testmakers THINK the politicians would answer.

This is a very difficult thing to place because: A: The politician may have not said anything on the issue, and B: Even if they did, there's no way of knowing that's their real view.