Poly: Conservative Stronghold?

[DaShi]

Economic Left/Right: 8.56
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 8.88



Apparently, I'm Hilter's and Thatcher's love-child!

[Aeson]

Mine:

[Ben Kenobi]

Like DD, +5.53, -1.32

[giblets]

Economic Left/Right: 10
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 10

[Al B. Sure!]

I just don't see how they got Romney and Obama so far in the top right corner. These are my guesses what they'd pick. SD, D, A, SA for strongly disagree, etc.

If economic globalisation is inevitable, it should primarily serve humanity rather than the interests of trans-national corporations.

R: SD, O: A

I'd always support my country, whether it was right or wrong.

R: SA, O: D

No one chooses his or her country of birth, so it's foolish to be proud of it.

R: SA, O: SA

Our race has many superior qualities, compared with other races.

R: SD, O: SD

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

R: SA, O: SA

Military action that defies international law is sometimes justified.

R: SA, O: SA

There is now a worrying fusion of information and entertainment.

R: A, O: A

People are ultimately divided more by class than by nationality.

R: SD, O: A

Controlling inflation is more important than controlling unemployment.

R: A, O: D

Because corporations cannot be trusted to voluntarily protect the environment, they require regulation.

R: SD, O: A

"from each according to his ability, to each according to his need" is a fundamentally good idea.

R: SD, O: D

It's a sad reflection on our society that something as basic as drinking water is now a bottled, branded consumer product.

R: SD, O: D

Land shouldn't be a commodity to be bought and sold.

R: SD, O: SD

It is regrettable that many personal fortunes are made by people who simply manipulate money and contribute nothing to their society.

R: SD, O: A

Protectionism is sometimes necessary in trade.

R: A, O: A

The only social responsibility of a company should be to deliver a profit to its shareholders.

R: SA, O: D

The rich are too highly taxed.

R: A, O: SD

Those with the ability to pay should have the right to higher standards of medical care .

R: SA, O: A

Governments should penalise businesses that mislead the public.

R: A, O: A

A genuine free market requires restrictions on the ability of predator multinationals to create monopolies.

R: D, O: SA

The freer the market, the freer the people.

R: SA, O: A

I got tired of manually quoting so:

Abortion, when the woman's life is not threatened, should always be illegal.
R: A, O: SD (this one is tricky because it doesn't include rape and incest which is the standard GOP pro-life position)

All authority should be questioned.
R: D, O: A

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
R: SD, O: SD

Taxpayers should not be expected to prop up any theatres or museums that cannot survive on a commercial basis.
R: A, O: D

Schools should not make classroom attendance compulsory.
R: D, O: SD

All people have their rights, but it is better for all of us that different sorts of people should keep to their own kind.
R: SD, O: SD

Good parents sometimes have to spank their children.
R: A, O: A

It's natural for children to keep some secrets from their parents.
R: A, O: A

Possessing marijuana for personal use should not be a criminal offence.
R: SD, O: SD

The prime function of schooling should be to equip the future generation to find jobs.
R: A, O: A

People with serious inheritable disabilities should not be allowed to reproduce.
R: SD, O: SD

The most important thing for children to learn is to accept discipline.
R: A, O: D

There are no savage and civilised peoples; there are only different cultures.
R: A, O: A

Those who are able to work, and refuse the opportunity, should not expect society's support.
R: SA, O: D

When you are troubled, it's better not to think about it, but to keep busy with more cheerful things.
R: A, O: D (**** who knows?)

First-generation immigrants can never be fully integrated within their new country.
R: D, O: SD

What's good for the most successful corporations is always, ultimately, good for all of us.
R: A, O: SD

No broadcasting institution, however independent its content, should receive public funding.
R: A, O: D

Our civil liberties are being excessively curbed in the name of counter-terrorism.
R: SD, O: D

A significant advantage of a one-party state is that it avoids all the arguments that delay progress in a democratic political system.
R: SD, O: SD (I'm taking this as in favor of a one-party state)

Although the electronic age makes official surveillance easier, only wrongdoers need to be worried.
R: A, O: A

The death penalty should be an option for the most serious crimes.
R: SA, O: SA

In a civilised society, one must always have people above to be obeyed and people below to be commanded.
R: A, O: A

Abstract art that doesn't represent anything shouldn't be considered art at all.
R: SD, O: SD

In criminal justice, punishment should be more important than rehabilitation.
R: D, O: SD

It is a waste of time to try to rehabilitate some criminals.
R: A, O: A

The businessperson and the manufacturer are more important than the writer and the artist.
R: A, O: D

Mothers may have careers, but their first duty is to be homemakers.
R: A, O: D

Multinational companies are unethically exploiting the plant genetic resources of developing countries.
R: SD, O: D

Making peace with the establishment is an important aspect of maturity.
R: A, O: A

Astrology accurately explains many things.
R: SD, O: SD

You cannot be moral without being religious.
R: SD, O: SD

Charity is better than social security as a means of helping the genuinely disadvantaged.
R: A, O: SD

Some people are naturally unlucky.
R: D, O: A (who ****ing knows?)

It is important that my child's school instills religious values.
R: A, O: D

Sex outside marriage is usually immoral.
R: A, O: D

A same sex couple in a stable, loving relationship, should not be excluded from the possibility of child adoption.
R: D, O: A

Pornography, depicting consenting adults, should be legal for the adult population.
R: A, O: A

What goes on in a private bedroom between consenting adults is no business of the state.
R: A, O: A

No one can feel naturally homosexual.
R: D, O: D

These days openness about sex has gone too far.
R: A, O: D



I did my guesses for Romney and got:
Economic Left/Right: 7.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.67



Anyone want to take the time and do Obama?

I'm just not seeing how Romney would be high on authoritarian. The test makers are full of ****. He's not racist, he's not anti-porn, he doesn't think people should be prohibited from reproducing if they have disabilities, etc. Where are they getting the authoritarian from?

[giblets]

You couldn't even bother to fill in your bull**** speculative answers for Obama? You're so lazy no wonder you never have a job. Here are the results for your dumb little exercise:

Economic Left/Right: -3.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.67

Wow, you think Obama is a liberal?

And here's the Obama reality:

The Democratic incumbent has surrounded himself with conservative advisors and key figures — many from previous administrations, and an unprecedented number from the Trilateral Commission. He also appointed a former Monsanto executive as Senior Advisor to the FDA. He has extended Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, presided over a spiralling rich-poor gap and sacrificed further American jobs with recent free trade deals.Trade union rights have also eroded under his watch. He has expanded Bush defence spending, droned civilians, failed to close Guantanamo, supported the NDAA which effectively legalises martial law, allowed drilling and adopted a soft-touch position towards the banks that is to the right of European Conservative leaders. We list these because many of Obama’s detractors absurdly portray him as either a radical liberal or a socialist, while his apologists, equally absurdly, continue to view him as a well-intentioned progressive, tragically thwarted by overwhelming pressures. 2008's yes-we-can chanters, dazzled by pigment rather than policy detail, forgot to ask can what? Between 1998 and the last election, Obama amassed $37.6million from the financial services industry, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. While 2008 presidential candidate Obama appeared to champion universal health care, his first choice for Secretary of Health was a man who had spent years lobbying on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry against that very concept. Hey! You don't promise a successful pub, and then appoint the Salvation Army to run it. This time around, the honey-tongued President makes populist references to economic justice, while simultaneously appointing as his new Chief of Staff a former Citigroup executive concerned with hedge funds that bet on the housing market to collapse. Obama poses something of a challenge to The Political Compass, because he's a man of so few fixed principles.

As outrageous as it may appear, civil libertarians and human rights supporters would have actually fared better under a Republican administration. Had a Bush or McCain presidency continued Guantanamo and introduced the NDAA, the Democratic Party would have howled from the rooftops. Under a Democratic administration, these far-reaching developments have received scant opposition and a disgraceful absence of mainstream media coverage.

http://www.politicalcompass.org/uselection2012

The truth hurts, doesn't it?

[Al B. Sure!]

Does anyone take issue with my speculative answers for Obama and Romney? I don't think they're off base at all.

The authoritarian questions appear to revolve around racism, porn/government in the bedroom, and eugenics. Neither Obama nor Romney support the authoritarian positions on those questions.

Maybe they are authoritarian by some silly perspective but the questions posed do not support that. They need different questions.

Our civil liberties are being excessively curbed in the name of counter-terrorism.
R: SD, O: D

I put Romney strongly disagrees and Obama disagrees. That was not enough to put either of them deep into authoritarian territory.

So this claim:

As outrageous as it may appear, civil libertarians and human rights supporters would have actually fared better under a Republican administration. Had a Bush or McCain presidency continued Guantanamo and introduced the NDAA, the Democratic Party would have howled from the rooftops. Under a Democratic administration, these far-reaching developments have received scant opposition and a disgraceful absence of mainstream media coverage.

as support for the idea that Obama/Romney is authoritarian is clearly wrong.

[Ben Kenobi]

Clearly, Albert, you're in denial.

Obama is far to my right.

[OzzyKP]

Does anyone take issue with my speculative answers for Obama and Romney? I don't think they're off base at all.

I agree for the most part, but I do have some revisions. In bold:




If economic globalisation is inevitable, it should primarily serve humanity rather than the interests of trans-national corporations.
R: SD, O: A

I'd always support my country, whether it was right or wrong.
R: SA, O: A

No one chooses his or her country of birth, so it's foolish to be proud of it.
R: SD, O: SD

Our race has many superior qualities, compared with other races.
R: SD, O: SD

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
R: SA, O: SA

Military action that defies international law is sometimes justified.
R: SA, O: SA

There is now a worrying fusion of information and entertainment.
R: A, O: A

People are ultimately divided more by class than by nationality.
R: SD, O: A

Controlling inflation is more important than controlling unemployment.
R: A, O: D

Because corporations cannot be trusted to voluntarily protect the environment, they require regulation.
R: SD, O: A

"from each according to his ability, to each according to his need" is a fundamentally good idea.
R: SD, O: D

It's a sad reflection on our society that something as basic as drinking water is now a bottled, branded consumer product.
R: SD, O: D

Land shouldn't be a commodity to be bought and sold.
R: SD, O: SD

It is regrettable that many personal fortunes are made by people who simply manipulate money and contribute nothing to their society.
R: SD, O: A

Protectionism is sometimes necessary in trade.
R: A, O: A

The only social responsibility of a company should be to deliver a profit to its shareholders.
R: SA, O: D

The rich are too highly taxed.
R: A, O: SD

Those with the ability to pay should have the right to higher standards of medical care .
R: SA, O: A

Governments should penalize businesses that mislead the public.
R: A, O: A

A genuine free market requires restrictions on the ability of predator multinationals to create monopolies.
R: D, O: SA

The freer the market, the freer the people.
R: SA, O: A

Abortion, when the woman's life is not threatened, should always be illegal.
R: A, O: SD (this one is tricky because it doesn't include rape and incest which is the standard GOP pro-life position)

All authority should be questioned.
R: SD, O: SD

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
R: A, O: D

Taxpayers should not be expected to prop up any theatres or museums that cannot survive on a commercial basis.
R: A, O: D

Schools should not make classroom attendance compulsory.
R: SD, O: SD

All people have their rights, but it is better for all of us that different sorts of people should keep to their own kind.
R: SD, O: SD

Good parents sometimes have to spank their children.
R: SA, O: A

It's natural for children to keep some secrets from their parents.
R: SD, O: D

Possessing marijuana for personal use should not be a criminal offence.
R: SD, O: SD

The prime function of schooling should be to equip the future generation to find jobs.
R: SA, O: SA

People with serious inheritable disabilities should not be allowed to reproduce.
R: SD, O: SD

The most important thing for children to learn is to accept discipline.
R: A, O: D

There are no savage and civilised peoples; there are only different cultures.
R: D, O: SA

Those who are able to work, and refuse the opportunity, should not expect society's support.
R: SA, O: D

When you are troubled, it's better not to think about it, but to keep busy with more cheerful things.
R: A, O: D

First-generation immigrants can never be fully integrated within their new country.
R: D, O: SD

What's good for the most successful corporations is always, ultimately, good for all of us.
R: A, O: D

No broadcasting institution, however independent its content, should receive public funding.
R: A, O: D

Our civil liberties are being excessively curbed in the name of counter-terrorism.
R: SD, O: SD

A significant advantage of a one-party state is that it avoids all the arguments that delay progress in a democratic political system.
R: SD, O: SD (I'm taking this as in favor of a one-party state)

Although the electronic age makes official surveillance easier, only wrongdoers need to be worried.
R: SA, O: SA

The death penalty should be an option for the most serious crimes.
R: SA, O: SA

In a civilised society, one must always have people above to be obeyed and people below to be commanded.
R: A, O: A

Abstract art that doesn't represent anything shouldn't be considered art at all.
R: D, O: D (Since this is such a stupid ****ing question I moved them both from SD to D so it'd have less impact on the results)

In criminal justice, punishment should be more important than rehabilitation.
R: A, O: D

It is a waste of time to try to rehabilitate some criminals.
R: A, O: A

The businessperson and the manufacturer are more important than the writer and the artist.
R: A, O: A

Mothers may have careers, but their first duty is to be homemakers.
R: A, O: D

Multinational companies are unethically exploiting the plant genetic resources of developing countries.
R: SD, O: D

Making peace with the establishment is an important aspect of maturity.
R: SA, O: SA

Astrology accurately explains many things.
R: SD, O: SD

You cannot be moral without being religious.
R: D, O: SD

Charity is better than social security as a means of helping the genuinely disadvantaged.
R: A, O: SD

Some people are naturally unlucky.
R: D, O: A (who ****ing knows?)

It is important that my child's school instills religious values.
R: A, O: D

Sex outside marriage is usually immoral.
R: A, O: D

A same sex couple in a stable, loving relationship, should not be excluded from the possibility of child adoption.
R: D, O: A

Pornography, depicting consenting adults, should be legal for the adult population.
R: SA, O: SA (Romney may personally hate pornography, but he'd never dream of making it illegal)

What goes on in a private bedroom between consenting adults is no business of the state.
R: SA, O: SA (I'm sure neither would ever dream of regulating or banning anything in the bedroom)

No one can feel naturally homosexual.
R: A, O: SD (I imagine Romney isn't totally on board with the "born this way" idea)

These days openness about sex has gone too far.
R: A, O: D

[OzzyKP]

So, with my changes, I got this for Romney:



And this for Obama:

[Al B. Sure!]

So more and more, Romney and Obama are not far authoritarian. I'm struggling to figure out how they got that from those questions. It's possible they are far authoritarian but their questions don't support that idea, unless you suggest that Obama and Romney are eugenics-supporting racists who want to ban pornography.

So either the makers of the political compass are full of **** or they're holding politicians to a different standard than their questions.

[Ben Kenobi]

Albert, how hard is it to admit that Obama is to my right? Obama's already started a war without congressional approval, given lots of bucks to his croneys, appointed Czars right and left, passed massively unconstitutional legislation, failed to pass a budget, violated house + senate rules to pass his legislation, threatened to pack the courts with his croneys, defied the law, prosecuted state governments, prosecuted civilians for expressing dissent, the list goes on.

Does that strike you as someone who is particularly fond of liberty?

[OzzyKP]

So more and more, Romney and Obama are not far authoritarian. I'm struggling to figure out how they got that from those questions. It's possible they are far authoritarian but their questions don't support that idea, unless you suggest that Obama and Romney are eugenics-supporting racists who want to ban pornography.

So either the makers of the political compass are full of **** or they're holding politicians to a different standard than their questions.

The makers of that site are full of ****. Clearly. It seems calling all American politicians a bunch of right wing nutjobs helps advance their leftist agenda. In their eyes, somehow, I'm sure they believe that Obama & Romney are racist eugenic supporting nutjobs. According to their quiz Dennis Kucinich is a moderate.

[Sir Og]

What kind of stupid question is:

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

This is an advantage as far as speeding the decision making process goes. It is a disadvantage as far as making the best possible decision is concerned.
So is this question asking if you like a one-party state or is it asking if it is faster to make a decision with only one party?

This seems like a fairly stupid test.

[Sir Og]

I ended up being left on the economic scale. This is definately a BS test.
Economic Left/Right: -2.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.05