The Businessperson and Manufacturer are more important than the Writer and Artist.

[Eukaryote]

Many of you probably recognize the statement above. It's from the famous political compass test. It's a question that always stumps me a little, but I always end up clicking "disagree." (but not "strongly disagree")

If I could answer anyway I wanted, I would say it depends. I think it mostly depends on what aforementioned businessperson and manufacturer are making. Let's face it, literature is more important than products that are essentially useless or only used for conspicuous consumption (ex. whoopie cushions and diamond bracelets) but it's not nearly as important as products that are necessities or used for education or health care (ex. blankets, pencils and syringes).

How do you feel about the statement, and why?

 

[classical_hero]

Both are as important. Unfortunately there is no option for that.

 

[civver_764]

Strongly disagree. There's no point in love if there's nothing to enjoy.

 

[Dachs]

I don't see what the difference between "businessperson" and "writer and artist" is.

 

[Eukaryote]

Both are as important. Unfortunately there is no option for that.

I think that's part of the point of the political compass test, that you have to make hard choices. God knows it's hard to choose between controlling inflation and unemployment.

 

[Neonanocyborgasm]

I always answer "disagree" because it is both not true and the question is vague. It doesn't say how one is more important than the other. Nor is it specific enough to render any conclusions. Which businessman? Which artist?

 

[Arwon]

Both are as important. Unfortunately there is no option for that.

That would be a "disagree" then. Disagree doesn't mea you think the inverse.

 

[PeteAtoms]

Would the artist and writer starve if there were no business or manufacturers?

 

[Dachs]

Would the artist and writer starve if there were no business or manufacturers?

Ever seen Equilibrium?

 

[Mr. Dictator]

Everybody has their place.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Would the artist and writer starve if there were no business or manufacturers?

Not necessarily. Taking the whole of human history into consideration, far more art and writing has gone unsold and un-mass produced than the other way around. I daresay most of the people doing that art and writing found some other way to have food, clothing, and shelter.

But let's say you want to go into business or manufacturing. What are you going to sell? Not a whole lot, unless somebody first comes up with an idea. So on a human scale, when talking about art and literature (I include "practical" items in this as well), you need the writer and artist to create the idea before there is anything to mass produce and sell.

Writers and artists therefore trump businesspeople and manufacturers.

 

[Quackers]

All I can say is, there is now a worrying fusion of information and entertainment. I'd always support my country, whether it was right or wrong but no one chooses his or her's country so it would be foolish to be proud of it.

 

[Dachs]

That fusion has always existed.

 

[Cutlass]

All I can say is, there is now a worrying fusion of information and entertainment.

And this is new since when?

 

[classical_hero]

Would the artist and writer starve if there were no business or manufacturers?

What about the business that supplies paper? They would go out of business if it were not for the artist and the writer.

@Arwon, but disagreeing can mean that you find the inverse to be true, so it is not totally accurate. You could have two people disagreeing with that statement, then and yet they would be doing it for two different reasons.

 

[Arwon]

Doesn't matter. That's clearly not what the question is testing for, otherwise it would be worded differently. The writers of the test aren't idiots, they'll be fully aware disagreement can be for multiple reasons.

I don't know why people find this so hard to grasp when they complain about the test's question-wording.

 

[Quackers]

As time goes by this maxim stands tall as an eternal truth; the freer the market, the freer the people.

 

[Perfection]

businessmen and manufacturers are artists.

 

[Eukaryote]

All I can say is, there is now a worrying fusion of information and entertainment.

This one always kind of confuses me too. I usually say, "disagree," but I'm not sure whether that makes me more libertarian or authoritarian, and I'm not sure what exactly the question is referring to.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Which side has the scientists?