Your political compass

JoshF · Post by **JoshF** » Fri May 30, 2008 10:32 pm

.

Ok - now what about those people who were just scraping along managing to pay the bills?

Stop the corporations from taxing their labor for profit and give them a living wage. Oh wait, it's only taxation when the government does it.

Post by **system11** » Fri May 30, 2008 10:32 pm

antron wrote:@bloodflowers
All good points to consider. It's just that when schools put out students that cannot even read, nothing can convince me that people above the middle class (like me) need to be taxed more to get the schools in order. This is basically Obama's message.

Schools in Africa with no money at all, teaching kids under a tree or in a basic shack are able to put out ones who can read. There's a bigger problem there.

antron · Post by **antron** » Fri May 30, 2008 11:04 pm

bloodflowers wrote:
antron wrote:@bloodflowers
All good points to consider. It's just that when schools put out students that cannot even read, nothing can convince me that people above the middle class (like me) need to be taxed more to get the schools in order. This is basically Obama's message.
Schools in Africa with no money at all, teaching kids under a tree or in a basic shack are able to put out ones who can read. There's a bigger problem there.

you can say that again. it's their parents. I know a 4th grade teacher who has to teach students how to use a fork. there is only one answer besides taking them away. that's after class programs, meals, clothes, books etc. this all comes down to more money.

we pay for it anyway. in violent crime. prisons. another generation of welfare. we have to break the cycle and it is not going to be cheap at first. you can't have that hummer right now.

JoshF · Post by **JoshF** » Fri May 30, 2008 11:08 pm

Intelligent and skilled people are able to reimburse us. Teach a man to fish and all that shit.

Michaelm · Post by **Michaelm** » Fri May 30, 2008 11:49 pm

Death to greed !
We're in this together, if we want or not, so it's a lot better to get it sorted out together and not rule out people cause they don't fit in to the 'standard'.
Sure, in the capitalistic countries we live in 'sharing' is your last concern and that's quite understandable seeing how expensive life has become.
But still, it's the system that needs changing and not people to be dissed and/or ruled out.

In Africa kids minds don't get fucked up by all the commercials aimed at them so that might explain the better outcome of the education system.

trivial · Post by **trivial** » Sat May 31, 2008 12:12 am

-9.75 L/R
-9.33 L/A

Sometime in the past six or seven years these #'s switched places. I do remember this exact test from back then.

szycag · Post by **szycag** » Sat May 31, 2008 12:16 am

Economic Left/Right: -6.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.56

That's about the place Gandhi was.

Stormwatch · Post by **Stormwatch** » Sat May 31, 2008 12:22 am

I took one of those tests recently... as expected, a full right-wing libertarian a la Ron Paul.

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Sat May 31, 2008 12:51 am

antron wrote:
bloodflowers wrote:
antron wrote:@bloodflowers
All good points to consider. It's just that when schools put out students that cannot even read, nothing can convince me that people above the middle class (like me) need to be taxed more to get the schools in order. This is basically Obama's message.
Schools in Africa with no money at all, teaching kids under a tree or in a basic shack are able to put out ones who can read. There's a bigger problem there.
you can say that again. it's their parents. I know a 4th grade teacher who has to teach students how to use a fork. there is only one answer besides taking them away. that's after class programs, meals, clothes, books etc. this all comes down to more money.

we pay for it anyway. in violent crime. prisons. another generation of welfare. we have to break the cycle and it is not going to be cheap at first. you can't have that hummer right now.

It's also (the media of) western culture ingraining the bullshit that learning is a chore into people whereas for people in Africa it's treated like two and a half miracles

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Sat May 31, 2008 2:00 am

Twiddle wrote:It's also (the media of) western culture ingraining the bullshit that learning is a chore into people whereas for people in Africa it's treated like two and a half miracles

I'd take it a step further - not only are we encouraged to get by on everything (education included) with as little effort as possible, but are constantly told that being flat-out ignorant is not only acceptable, but "cool" or "edgy" or whatever such word you'd care to use. It's blatant anti-intellectualism - if you're informed and/or well-educated, regardless of how you act or what you do with yourself, you're "elitist." To be a "real American" and "relate to people" you have to be a self-satisfied dolt.

There's a book out recently on this...The Age of American Unreason, I think it's called...I need to read it, and so do a lot of other people.

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Sat May 31, 2008 2:20 am

also -1.1/-2.1 lmbo

trivial · Post by **trivial** » Sat May 31, 2008 2:59 am

The age of STR8EDGIE STRATEGERY

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Sat May 31, 2008 3:09 am

shoe-samaisms

doodude · Post by **doodude** » Sat May 31, 2008 3:35 am

http://www.politicalcompass.org/printab ... &soc=-1.95

I find the Region Specific links interesting...

Damocles · Post by **Damocles** » Sat May 31, 2008 3:57 am

bloodflowers wrote:Oh - before I forget - the people who made the test are socialists. The wording of many questions is such that one answer is 'good' and one is 'bad'.

This is truth.

I do think it's rather funny, however. I'm basically Republican...so...uhh...however you want to interpret this is fine...

http://www.politicalcompass.org/printab ... &soc=-3.03

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Sat May 31, 2008 4:12 am

I took the test using Fighter17's answers and got +10/+8.97

Michaelm · Post by **Michaelm** » Sat May 31, 2008 12:53 pm

BulletMagnet wrote:if you're informed and/or well-educated, regardless of how you act or what you do with yourself, you're "elitist."

That's not true !
It depends on how you act.
There are lots of people that are well educated and don't feel higher or better then people with less education. Those people are cool.
And then you have those that think they are better people cause they have better education. Well those people are just stinking losers or 'elitists'.

Nuke · Post by **Nuke** » Sat May 31, 2008 2:08 pm

Michaelm wrote:
BulletMagnet wrote:if you're informed and/or well-educated, regardless of how you act or what you do with yourself, you're "elitist."
That's not true !
It depends on how you act.
There are lots of people that are well educated and don't feel higher or better then people with less education. Those people are cool.
And then you have those that think they are better people cause they have better education. Well those people are just stinking losers or 'elitists'.

Psst!: He's talking about how society views well educated and opinionated people, even though they make a good point or are more in the know how than the powers that be.
Joe regular = A true patriot!
Joe wit a diploma = An overeducated snob with his head up his ass!

Michaelm · Post by **Michaelm** » Sat May 31, 2008 2:36 pm

I guess that depends on what direction those educated people are talking.
If it's the same as the powers that be than they'll be considered greater patriots than Joe regular.
If it's in another direction then they'll be considered overeducated snobs.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Sat May 31, 2008 4:49 pm

@Michael - I think what I said might seem a bit weird to you because you're not from the USA - around here, really no matter what an educated/informed/rational person does or says, his opponents will smear him as "elitist" or "out of touch," just for being what he is, and a sizable chunk of the populace will take it to heart and shun him as "not one of them." Both sides of the political equation have done it, though in recent years it's mainly been the conservatives (there was an Op-Ed on this in the NYT the other day, by the woman who wrote the "American Unreason" book I mentioned earlier). Of course, there's also the fact that "elite" and "elitist" don't mean the same thing, though for most they've become more or less synonymous.

One way I've heard it put is that in the rest of the world, politicians try to seem smarter than they actually are - in the US, they have to try to appear dumber than they actually are. If you're too informed, and not willing to hide it, it's automatically assumed that you "don't share the values" of most of the country. And to some extent that assumption is correct, though also frighteningly unfortunate.

Michaelm · Post by **Michaelm** » Sat May 31, 2008 5:49 pm

Hmm, yeah, that's a weird situation.
Though it does explain some stuff I have heard about Americans in the working area.
Mainly that they are not very pro-active and need someone else to tell them what to do.

Over here they are trying to seem smarter then they are.
You can get some good laughs out of all the ridiculous stuff they say.
Just a shame they usually laugh last after collecting all our money

Twiddle · Post by **Twiddle** » Sat May 31, 2008 6:14 pm

bzielinski wrote:
Personally, as a teenager and an American I was personally offended by Ms. Jacoby's ignorance. I am tired of people ranting and raving about how the youth of the nation are becomming less and less intelligent because of the introduction of technology. Computers and other media outlets are not "destroying" books, they are placing them on other medians. As a sociey we have grown technologically and intellictually. Children are not growing less intelligent and being taught to the books. We are becomming SMARTER then past generations. In high schools students are being pushed to take more difficult classes and are prospering. As an 11th grader I take three college level classes and take the same tests as a college student would. So before you go and make a claim like our county is "dumbing", find you own up to date facts and stop being a snob.

I love dramatic irony

Zebra Airforce · Post by **Zebra Airforce** » Sat May 31, 2008 6:16 pm

Jesus, that's depressing. You guys always harsh my buzz.

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Sat May 31, 2008 6:28 pm

Twiddle wrote:
bzielinski wrote:
Personally, as a teenager and an American I was personally offended by Ms. Jacoby's ignorance. I am tired of people ranting and raving about how the youth of the nation are becomming less and less intelligent because of the introduction of technology. Computers and other media outlets are not "destroying" books, they are placing them on other medians. As a sociey we have grown technologically and intellictually. Children are not growing less intelligent and being taught to the books. We are becomming SMARTER then past generations. In high schools students are being pushed to take more difficult classes and are prospering. As an 11th grader I take three college level classes and take the same tests as a college student would. So before you go and make a claim like our county is "dumbing", find you own up to date facts and stop being a snob.
I love dramatic irony

He's right, I've become so much more intellictual now that spellcheck was introduced

Zebra Airforce · Post by **Zebra Airforce** » Sat May 31, 2008 6:35 pm

Even with spellcheck that paragraph is fucked.

The Age of American Unreason

Thanks, BM. I'd forgotten I was looking for this one a while ago.

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Sat May 31, 2008 7:01 pm

bloodflowers wrote:Always surprises me how many 'lefties' there are. You know, they should carry the following details on -all- tests such as this:

1) Age
2) Working status

Because once you have to go out, grow up, and earn a living, it gives you a somewhat more realistic view of the world.

Once you start working, you also start paying taxes rather than just benefiting from others doing so, so economic liberalism becomes less attractive.

Oh - before I forget - the people who made the test are socialists. The wording of many questions is such that one answer is 'good' and one is 'bad'.

Here's the first answer from the FAQ (I'm not saying first to make you feel like a dick for not checking the FAQ, it just is):

Most of them are slanted ! Some right-wingers accuse us of a leftward slant. Some left-wingers accuse us of a rightward slant. But it's important to realise that this isn't a survey, and these aren't questions. They're propositions - an altogether different proposition. To question the logic of individual ones that irritate you is to miss the point. Some propositions are extreme, and some are more moderate. That's how we can show you whether you lean towards extremism or moderation on the Compass.

Some of the propositions are intentionally vague. Their purpose is to trigger buzzwords in the mind of the user, measuring feelings and prejudices rather than detailed opinions on policy.

Incidentally, our test is not another internet personality classification tool. The essence of our site is the model for political analysis. The test is simply a demonstration of it.

FIL · Post by **FIL** » Sat May 31, 2008 7:04 pm

Suggesting all lefties are unemployed teens is as silly as suggesting all right wingers are reactionary old men who drop their monocles at the sight of a gay couple.

Neon · Post by **Neon** » Sat May 31, 2008 7:58 pm

FIL wrote:Suggesting all lefties are unemployed teens is as silly as suggesting all right wingers are reactionary old men who drop their monocles at the sight of a gay couple.

I wasn't. I'm one of the college-aged lefties myself, I was simply trying to respond to the 'older=wiser' comment. I think the reason a lot of people get more conservative is a little more involved than that. Typically once you graduate from college, you live in an area with less population density and make a lot more money, which tends to make people more conservative.

FIL · Post by **FIL** » Sat May 31, 2008 8:02 pm

Sorry, wasn't replying to you, but the conversation you were replying to.

MX7 · Post by **MX7** » Sat May 31, 2008 8:09 pm

Economic Left/Right: -7.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -8.82

I did the exact same test in 6th form. What was scary was how many people in my class supported the death penalty. Still, it allowed me to choose my friends more wisely.