[AhSureTisGrand]

I'm not sure I agree with the definitions of libertarianism and authoritarianism on which the test seems to operate. "Authoritarianism" appears here to refer to one's general attitude to life, rather than one's political views.

In theory, I could be a libertarian yet promote a very authoritarian parenting style. I might say that only the parents / legal guardians may infringe on the rights of their children, and nobody else (ie the State) may restrict their freedoms. My parenting might involve hitting my children and constantly invading their privacy, yet at the same time if somebody tried to force them to go to school I would be mighty pissed off. Then when the child becomes an adult I would acknowledge that they own themselves and cease aggression against them. Similarly, if I were an employer I could treat my employees like mindless sheep yet still consider myself a political individualist.

The poll also seems to consider racism a form of authoritarianism. If I think my race is superior to others why does that mean I can't believe in strong individual freedom?

Basically a lot of the questions are kinda irrelevant to politics and you need to be a douchebag to score high on the authoritarian scale

[DEVEREUX]

[RussellTuring]

Originally Posted by AhSureTisGrand

I'm not sure I agree with the definitions of libertarianism and authoritarianism on which the test seems to operate. "Authoritarianism" appears here to refer to one's general attitude to life, rather than one's political views.

In theory, I could be a libertarian yet promote a very authoritarian parenting style. I might say that only the parents / legal guardians may infringe on the rights of their children, and nobody else (ie the State) may restrict their freedoms. My parenting might involve hitting my children and constantly invading their privacy, yet at the same time if somebody tried to force them to go to school I would be mighty pissed off. Then when the child becomes an adult I would acknowledge that they own themselves and cease aggression against them. Similarly, if I were an employer I could treat my employees like mindless sheep yet still consider myself a political individualist.

The poll also seems to consider racism a form of authoritarianism. If I think my race is superior to others why does that mean I can't believe in strong individual freedom?

Basically a lot of the questions are kinda irrelevant to politics and you need to be a douchebag to score high on the authoritarian scale

I think they expect a person's political opinions to be consistent with their general thoughts. If you don't like the idea of government but still wield a great deal of authority on your children, then you're only rejecting a particular form of authority; not all authority on principle.

[Denerick]

Thought I'd update this. I feel that I've taken a strong lurch to the left in the past year, and decided to give the political compass another wheeze to see where I stand. And this is where I got:

Economic Left/Right: -7.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.49



There is some huge flaws with this though, there is no way that myself and Robert Mugabe share the same views on economic policy.

[matthew8]

Before I post my compass I would like to point out that this website is a left-libertarian hack website that is designed to convince everyone of how left wing they are, and to know the extent of their hackishness you need only look at their US 2012 compass. The questions are completely loaded and many of them irrelevant. Anyway here's my compass:



I must say though that I strongly disagreed with a clear majority of the statements. Not sure how I got an economic score so far to the right, even though I would be even further to the right I remember answering most of the economic questions like someone on the left.

[Kinski]

Originally Posted by matthew8

this website is a left-libertarian hack website that is designed to convince everyone of how left wing they are, and to know the extent of their hackishness you need only look at their US 2012 compass. The questions are completely loaded and many of them irrelevant.

[...]

Not sure how I got an economic score so far to the right, even though I would be even further to the right I remember answering most of the economic questions like someone on the left.

Need I even say anything?

[matthew8]

Originally Posted by Kinski

Need I even say anything?

What do you mean? It asked whether corporations exploited third world countries and I said they are because it is what it is. It asked whether there should be environmental regulations and I said yes there should be. It asked whether what's good for corporations is always good for people and I strongly disagreed. Those were the 3 that stuck out in my mind. I don't have a left wing position on any of the actual issues pertaining to those questions though.

[Kinski]

Originally Posted by matthew8

What do you mean? It asked whether corporations exploited third world countries and I said they are because it is what it is. It asked whether there should be environmental regulations and I said yes there should be. It asked whether what's good for corporations is always good for people and I strongly disagreed. Those were the 3 that stuck out in my mind. I don't have a left wing position on any of the actual issues pertaining to those questions though.

You claim the test is designed to trick people into thinking they're left-wing, yet even though you claim that you responded to many propositions in ways which you consider left-wing, the test still placed you on the right. Doesn't really back up your claim that it's trying to falsely identity test-takers as leftists.

[matthew8]

Originally Posted by Kinski

You claim the test is designed to trick people into thinking they're left-wing, yet even though you claim that you responded to many propositions in ways which you consider left-wing, the test still placed you on the right. Doesn't really back up your claim that it's trying to falsely identity test-takers as leftists.

The fact that I answered any economical questions in a left wing way means the questions are loaded.

[View]

Originally Posted by matthew8

The fact that I answered any economical questions in a left wing way means the questions are loaded.

No, it doesn't; it just means your "inner Communist" is struggling to get out.

[RandomName2]

I'm stuck right in the middle of left-and right economically (when I first took the test I was actually on the line... now I'm just a tiny piece to the left )

And naturally moderately libertarian.

I do not know how they have labelled the Socialist Party or Sinn Fein as Libertarian. Not. At. All.

Of course, one has to distinguish between those who say 'question authority' and those who say 'question authority... until such a point that we are in power and then do as we say.' There have been plenty or liberating revolutionaries who swept away the old order only to be far more authoritarian than those who came before.

[HalloweenJack]

[Denerick]

Originally Posted by RandomName2

I'm stuck right in the middle of left-and right economically (when I first took the test I was actually on the line... now I'm just a tiny piece to the left )

And naturally moderately libertarian.

I do not know how they have labelled the Socialist Party or Sinn Fein as Libertarian. Not. At. All.

Of course, one has to distinguish between those who say 'question authority' and those who say 'question authority... until such a point that we are in power and then do as we say.' There have been plenty or liberating revolutionaries who swept away the old order only to be far more authoritarian than those who came before.

My biggest problem is with the economic questions. It asks you where you stand on principle, but not in practise. As a matter of principle, I think commodities like bottled water (Whose brands differ in only the most superficial ways) are a bit of a joke and that its a shame that we pay one euro fifty for 500mls (The markups are ludicrous)

That said, my loathing of bottled water (And to a lesser extent the speculation of land for profit) are comparable to my loathing to going to the dentist. In the end, I'll still go to the dentist, because I recognise I won't have any teeth left if I don't. The questions need to be less about ideals and more about what you actually think works in practise. Which is why I emerge further to the left than Lenin!

[Histie]

Originally Posted by dannny1

http://www.politicalcompass.org/

This should help.

That has a bias to place people in the "Libertarian Left" quadrant. Here's another one: http://www.edwardgaffney.com/political-compass.html.

[Scofflaw]

Originally Posted by Histie

That has a bias to place people in the "Libertarian Left" quadrant. Here's another one: http://www.edwardgaffney.com/political-compass.html.

Hmm....100% of people are closer to the centre than me? That's almost impressive.



Needs an easy way to do that. A generated image taking in the coords of the user's result would work.

Political Compass (current) for comparison:

Economic Left/Right: -6.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.87

cordially,
Scofflaw