Where are you on the Political Compass?

[AnInconvenientScotsman]

I've taken this before, but since last summer I've sprinted further left apparently :-/

[Feck]

[Coito ergo sum]

I think I'm turning into a libertarian

If you haven't yet read some John Locke, Cesare Beccaria, Paul Holbach, Denis Diderot, David Hume and Voltaire. They'll cure you of libertarianism, and replace it with something much better.

[Animavore]

I think I'm turning into a libertarian

If you haven't yet read some John Locke, Cesare Beccaria, Paul Holbach, Denis Diderot, David Hume and Voltaire. They'll cure you of libertarianism, and replace it with something much better.

I don't think I really am turning into a libertarian. I find their ethics appalling. It just seems like a philosophical system for rich folk who want to justify doing whatever they please.

[Coito ergo sum]

I think I'm turning into a libertarian

If you haven't yet read some John Locke, Cesare Beccaria, Paul Holbach, Denis Diderot, David Hume and Voltaire. They'll cure you of libertarianism, and replace it with something much better.

I don't think I really am turning into a libertarian. I find their ethics appalling. It just seems like a philosophical system for rich folk who want to justify doing whatever they please.

I've always put it this way: the problem with libertarianism is libertarians. But, in short, taken by its conventional or typical definition it's not a viable system, and places too much stock in the ability of people fend for themselves. Some libertarians are for privatizing police forces and stuff like that - which would suggest that people could pay into whatever private police force is best on a free market basis, and if you didn't like the response time or if they were corrupt, you'd hire a different one. The problems with that should be quite obvious to anyone and it just won't work. However, many libertarians will tell me that there are many flavors of libertarianism and not all of them believe that sort of thing.

So, I can only say that ideas in libertarianism like: legalize drugs, prochoice on abortion, gay rights, women's equality, absolutist free speech, freedom from religion and all that stuff are things I agree with. So, there is a lot about libertarianism that I like. But, I acknowledge a large role in society for governments, and the key is to establish the governments such that they are subject to the law - limited in power and authority - and that serious protections are in place for fundamental human liberties into which the government may not tread. The sanctity of the human mind - the right to say what one pleases on political issues - the right to not worship or the reverse - all these things must be in place.

Democracy is good, within the scope of legitimate governmental power, which cannot be absolute or unlimited (because absolute power corrupts absolutely, to use a cliche') - but, at least as important than democracy are the fundamental liberties into which government may not tread.

[Animavore]

Free market worship in other words.

[Coito ergo sum]

Free market worship in other words.

Where did you get that?

I'm not worshiping anything, but there is nothing inherently wrong with a market or freedom, or a "free" market. The gist of a free market is that Animavore can get up one day and say to himself, "Self, I would like to start a donut shop." And, he sets out to buy the required equipment and rent a good location, and get his business going. What is wrong with that? Nothing, right?

There's also nothing wrong with some nice regulations that he'll have to follow in doing so. Building regulations to make sure the facility is safe. Food regulations to make sure the food is fit for human consumption, and taxes he needs to pay to support the public services provided for the place like water, electricity, gas, police, fire, roads and the like.

Where is the "worship?"

[Animavore]

Free market worship in other words.

Where did you get that?

I'm not worshiping anything, but there is nothing inherently wrong with a market or freedom, or a "free" market. The gist of a free market is that Animavore can get up one day and say to himself, "Self, I would like to start a donut shop." And, he sets out to buy the required equipment and rent a good location, and get his business going. What is wrong with that? Nothing, right?

There's also nothing wrong with some nice regulations that he'll have to follow in doing so. Building regulations to make sure the facility is safe. Food regulations to make sure the food is fit for human consumption, and taxes he needs to pay to support the public services provided for the place like water, electricity, gas, police, fire, roads and the like.

Where is the "worship?"

I haz confused. I was talking about libertarianism.

[Coito ergo sum]

I haz confused. I was talking about libertarianism.

Ah - yes - I wouldn't necessarily denigrate it by calling it "worship," but they often take it to the extreme. Not all libertarians believe in private police forces and that sort of libertarianism, but some do.

[JimC]

Me... Slightly pinko centrist, of course...

[Hermit]

22 months ago:

Economic Left/Right: -7.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -8.05



Not much change today:

Economic Left/Right: -8.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -8.56




I'd like to see the result of Seth doing the test. My prediction is that he'd land in the the vicinity of Economic Left/Right: 9.5
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -8.5 , the latter only because the questions don't probe his hypocrisies.

[Sælir]

I think this is a good place to be

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[Ronja]

Mine - AFAICR very much the same result as I got when doing this on Facebook maybe a year ago.

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[MiM]

This scares the shit out of me. Not that I didn't know...

Am I alone on this?

[Ronja]

And my Political Survey result - not very surprising, either:

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