Where are you on the political scale? Take the test (http://www.digitalronin.f2s.com/politicalcompass/questionnaire.pl?page=1)

That test is quite enlightening if not perfect in placing ones opinion on a scale. You should also check out the additional info on the page about where the presidential candidates are and politicians throughout history.

My placement is: Economic Left/Right: -1.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.77

Thus I am a slightly left leaning screaming libertarian by American standards. Seems about right. I seem to be quite alone on my spot. No world leaders have as of yet shared my opinions.

[ April 05, 2004, 20:30: Message edited by: joacqin ]

Yeay!

Economic Left/Right: -3.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.46

I'm around the same spot as Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama, the only people I admire in all these charts !

Sounds pretty accurate to me :D !

Owhoy! Seems I'm up there with nice guys: Stalin and Saddam. :D :rolleyes: :cool:

Gosh, like time I took that very test (as it has ben posted on SP before iirc) I was closer to Gandi, what the hell happened?

Are you sure this very same test have been posted before? I know there have been other tests but I dont recollect this one. I might be wrong though.

Economic Left/Right: -6.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.49

Heh, I'm Gandhi/Mandela! :D
Seems ok to me! :D

It's about American problems, but it seems it has good generalization skills.

Economic Left/Right: -3.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.05

More left than I thought, but not totally inaccurate. Looks like I come fairly close to toeing the line here. Not sure how accurate the test is, but yeah - pretty much my politically I guess. Very interesting.

Freakishly close to Gandhi...

I am still a misfit all alone in nowhere land.

Economic Left/Right: 3.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.28

Yes, it was.

once (http://www.sorcerers.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=005654#000000)

Seems it's the same test all right. Funny I came from a leftist libertarian to an iron-fisted dictator in just a couple of months.

What video games do to people...

Economic Left/Right: -2.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.87

That being said, I thought it was a *terribly* written test, and inherently biased toward the libertarian left. Terms such as "society", "market", "globalization", and "multinational corporation" were generally either unclear or employed as jargon. Throughout the test, I felt I could answer one way or another based on how I interpreted these poorly defined terms. For example, there are many different ways to answer the question about whether civilization is defined by having those who command and those who obey; in my opinion this question is so undefined as to be meaningless. And the attempt to place historical figures on the compass was particularly lame, especially in identifying the "diverse professional team" that developed it. Whenever someone gives you a bunch of questionable numbers, and then claims "professionalism" to back themselves up.

As a lefty, who saw this test as coming from lefties, I am again dismayed at the sloppiness of what often passes for thinking on the left. Dammit, there need to be more people on the left who understand economics...

Not to say it wasn't a fun test to take... :)

Darn it! It snuck past me while I was abroad.

What I find the most interesting on that site though is that I think many people are surprised at their results or dont agree with them. If I had taken it a few years ago I dont think I would be overly happy with the results. I also find it interesting to check out the placement of the presidential candidates for the US election. Looking at that I find it amazing that most of the candidates can be riled up against each other as they are more or less all in a very small area of the compass. As a foreign observer I think US politics really could use a couple of third, fourth and even fifth party candidates but alas that seems to be impossible.

Bion, everything is biased, one way or another. Read their faq it might explain their stance a little bit more. I atleast got parts of my misgivings adressed by reading it.

Wow.

I am

Economic Left/Right: 0.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.26

In other words, smack bang in the middle. I'm not even sure who that makes me similar to.

Economic Left/Right: -2.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.92

Missed dead center by a couple of clicks one way, and missed Gandhi by a couple of clicks in the other direction. hmmm...

Economic Left/Right: 3.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 2.46

I was a little surprised as I thought my social number would be negative. I guess my pro-spanking and death penalty pushed me over the edge.

Hrmpf.
Economic Left/Right: -5,75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3,95

I'm pretty much in bed with Gandhi.
*shudders* :D

If I told you where I landed, you liberal folk won't wanna talk to me.

[edit] bad questions, btw...looks like the poll doesn't know the difference between a Conservative Libertarian and a Lawless Despot...questions obviously written by someone with a Liberal bend

Econ 5.12
Soc -1.03

Not suprised by the Econ number, but am suprised by the Soc number, I really get along best with Libertarians, but I don't buy into the entire deregulate everthing and businesses will not abuse people. I guess my desire for some gov't oversite pushed me up.

Economic Left/Right: -7.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.87

After looking at the site and faq, I am even more convinced of the meaninglessness of this test. Furthermore, I think the biases of the test-writers would be exposed quite obviously if the actual historical/political figures took the test, as opposed to the "diverse professionals" who supposedly impersonated them to get their results. One quick example: the survey had about 20 questions on economy and globalization for every one on acceptance of lifestyle (homosexuality, etc.) If this were simply reversed the Dalai Lama (who doesn't approve of homosexuality) would seem far less libertarian/left than Tony Blair.

If the test actually tests anything, it might be tolerance for anti-globalization rhetoric (which, as I tested libertarian/left, must be somewhat high for me...)

But I resent the following things about the test: 1) the inability to tease out a *cautious* pro-globalization stance; 2) the selection of answers to questions on the behalf of historical figures by "diverse professionals" in a way that seemingly proves that all comtemporary western politicians are authoritarian rightists, while most of those who take the test are expected to be libertarian leftists who "fight the power" like Gandhi or the DL (and what a stupid and self-defeating idea this has been for the contemporary left!); 3) any left-right axis (especially one that puts Stalin far-left!) is IMO deeply politically naive; 4) I could go on and on...

Of course, not that it wasn't fun to take the test...

Economic Left/Right: -7.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.74

Economic left/right: 6.50
Social libertarian/authoritarian: 3.69

This test must be skewed - those figures are WAY too low.

Time to oil that iron fist!

Economic 0,38 and social 2,41. But why is there so many left-side people here?

Economic Left/Right: -4.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.62

Same as the majority here, just off of Ghandi.

Left/Right -5.88?

Well, there is blood between me and commies, so I don't go there. But left? Well, if that's how they rate my economic views.

I just refuse to acknowledge the right of those who have more to have even more at the cost of other people having less.

I understand that someone wants to have much. I understand that someone might want to have more - even if not really commendable. However, wanting to have more than other people and just for the sake of having more... stinks.

Plus, some modern aspects of ownership and all laws & regulations governing economy are not natural things. It's the society and particular type of government (and governance) that distributes good. There's nothing holy about that. But there is something holy in basic honesty and basic decency. Abusing the system to crave goods is more than just thievery. Sometimes LE is more terrifying than CE. Mostly because it makes effort to look all right and just.

Libertarian/Authoritarian -1.23

Three words: WTF? :shake:

Last time I was doing the test, I got some 3 (on the plus side).

Well, some things had better be left alone. Sure, it would be better to change them, but it's not like this or that government will do that. So it's better to think twice before doing anything stupid.

However, I'M NO DAMNED LIB! :shake: ;)

When it came to same sex marriages, free sex, porn and drugs, I was adamant!

And down with corporate dictate! Putting the price at ten times the value just because you're so big is not right. It stinks. Down with that, I say!

People of Athkatla! In the name of Ilmater!... oooops :shake: :lol: :grin:

Economic Left/Right: -4.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.33

Well I don't really understant the difference between the left and right economic position (someone explain please, I just don't understand how a direction relates to politics).

I'm not surprised at being so far from 'Authoritarianism' though lol, people think I'm anit-authority and I am sometimes so 'go figure'.

The left/right scale when it comes to economics measures what you feel about taxation, government control on business and spending, free trade across borders, that kind of thing. Simplified so means being left that you think that the government should help and take care of the people using common funds (ie taxes) being right means that you believe that things work out for the best if they are left alone.

I am further to the left than that what I scored on the test, I got my position so close to the centre there due to my opinions of free trade and globalisation. They seem to have protectionism on the left side of the scale, which can be debated especially since most US leaders have quite large doses of protectionism in their agenda and they are put rather far to the right.

Left/Right -5.75
Libertarian/Authoritarian -6.51

Good, I pass.

Economic 0.38
Social -5.74

I guess that makes me an anarchist? :lol:

Economic: -3.3
Social: -0.8

I'd like to add that I agree with every point made by Bion.

My social score, for example, should be way into positive territory. The problem is that the test includes questions based on policy... You can have a dictator who doesn't approve of corporal punishment, just as you can have an anarchist who believes in the adage 'an eye for an eye' (and vice versa of course).

Left/Right: 3.50
Libertarian/Authoritarian: 2.05

I'm almost insulted to be placed so far left... :grr:

EDIT: Ha!! Those scores put me at about the same level as Paul Martin (Canada's current PM)...and I am so much more to the right than he is, it's not even funny....

An interesting poll. I even ended up just about where I thought. On the graph, I placed very close to the Dalai Lama...Not bad company.

Economic Left/Right: -3.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.41

Economic Left/Right: -4.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.36

Left/Right: 0.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.92

Lets just say, thank god I don't run a country ;)

Economic Left/Right: -4.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.51

Another Nelson Mandela and Dalai Lama person. :)

Liberal Leftist. Like Gandhi and Mandela.

Economic Left/Right: -6.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.69

-2.1/-2.4. That seems about right with me, although a little bit too negative if anything.

But why is there so many left-side people here? It's a very liberal site for starters, as you probably gathered from reading some of the posts in the AoDA. That really shouldn't be too surprising though, as the majority of people on this site are young - and it is widely accepted that younger people tend to have more liberal views. That having been said, this whole thing is a crock if Chev is rated as "liberal".

The majority of people on this site don't own a fortune, aren't employers, don't hold a powerful position and so on.

When you start selling goods, employing people etc, you quite quickly become less liberal and less pro-social.

While I don't believe in any native sanctity of wealth distribution and social ladder, I hate the idea of entire groups sucking on the state. Well, on the society. Sucking on the state isn't all so evil in some circumstances, but draining on tax money is something that shouldn't be mentioned anywhere close to me. If that makes me liberal, Death Rabbit and Splunge are anarchists :shake:

Down with libs, down with neocons if anyone wants my opinion. Just get the work done and don't steal on the way and I'll be fine with you.

Everyone knows it would be best for the world if they stopped playing kids and simply gave in to me like they should :rolleyes:

Chevalier for the Emperor!

Well, he's got my vote. But I want Splunge and Death Rabbit as his advisors.

"The world, would be a better place..."

Well I was:
Economic Left/Right: -7.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.21

Which is probably wuite right as I consider myself a slightly anarchistic socialist...

Economic Left/Right: -4.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.95

Left Libertarian
I knew it...

Hmmm.... I'm mellowing. +4.25, - 2.67

Last time I took this poorly worded and ill-conceived "test" I was something like +5.5, -2.5. What happened? :eek:

Looking at your results you probably went from strongly agree/disagree on something to just disagree/agree or something. You got pretty much the same results.

This looks very familiar: -3.75/-4.31.

Well, if we are all Dalai Lama / Nelson Mandella type people, it can't be all bad?

Seems a little too arbitrary in terms of the questions as has allready been commented. Particularly some of the economics questions were far too polarised. Had they been more moderately styled I think a lot of us would have ended up further to the right in terms of economics at least.

Economic Left/Right -6.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian 0.21

Dead on the line far left, Not far from Ghandi and Nelson Mandela. Right where I thought I would be. (I am an individualist)

-2, -.1

hrm. used to be muuuch closer to gandhi :/

Economic Left/Right: -6.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.92

Left liberatorian

Hmm, I felt the test was a bit "If you don't want multi-national companies and rich people generally, to get richer and richer and allow companies to pollute te enviorment, then your a leftie!"

Not that I mind beeing a "leftie" it is what I am, just not so extreme, but I thought it was a bad test.

[ August 05, 2004, 13:01: Message edited by: Gregor McGrum ]

Economic Left/Right: -4.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.85

Hmmmmmmmmm......

Economic Left/Right: -2.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.36

The closest person to me is the Dalai Lama - not bad company if I do say so myself!

Economic Left/Right: -0.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 1.90
I'm close to Pope John Paul II... I'm agnostic too. How odd.

Nelson Mandela/Dalai Lama here.

Economic Left/Right: -7.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.33

Though I wish there was a middle in that survey. Some of the questions were a little vague I found.

Economic Left/Right: -3.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.41

I agree that the test is vague. Also, anything like this a +/- error range which I did not see mentioned.

:edited - typing errors.:

[ August 05, 2004, 16:03: Message edited by: Nakia Nightshadow ]

Have to agree with the criticisms made of this test - not only are the question ratios heavily biased towards political-economic matters, but they are extremely vague in a lot of ways. There's never enough depth to answer questions "as you'd like", but there isn't enough room to maneuver in a four-point scale. The questions need to be blunt and direct, with no room for misinterpretation. I think Chev's point about the majority of us being young is relevant, but the questionnaire is not particularly well-designed in the first place.

Economic Left/Right: -5.25
Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.69

...which makes me Gandhi-esque. This seems odd, considering that the thesis I'm writing is primarily about neo-liberal governance in advanced capitalism and the techniques necessary to sustain it. Sure, I don't believe in the right of the almighty dollar, but I have a real problem with the use of the word "rights" as they apply to ANYTHING. My view of the duties and obligations of anyone living in a capitalist democracy are quite clear; you and the State have a working relationship. Beyond that is your business. Two words, people: mutual obligation.

The state (ie: society) should look out for your mutual interests, such as helping you to be employed, have enough to eat, protect you from crime, et cetera. In return, you should work, pay taxes and abide by the rules. Above all else, the rights of the individual are paramount, but those rights are contingent on the observance of basic standards of conduct (mainly respect for others). If you don't do that, you forfeit some of your entitlements. Go far enough, and you lose the most basic of them - freedom. If the state screws up at its job, then it should be accountable as well (an example being compensation programs for crime victims). So long as you do that, though, the state should just keep its attention on its task (running the nation) and leave you be. The heterogeneity of society will keep it together (or cultural/religious beliefs, in a less diverse society); there is no need for excessive regulation outside of some relevant industries. Authority should not be directly exercised except when absolutely necessary and fully justifiable; control can be exerted through much more sophisticated, participatory methods and work beautifully. At least, it does in this country, if you're white, middle-class, male and heterosexual, like I am - I can't claim to speak for everybody. Everyone is bound in to the system, and because they have freedom at the end of the day, people are happy - they are expected to conform to a standard, beyond which they are (or should be) unfettered by interventions in their private business.

Which of course is one of the reasons why policing of domestic violence is so difficult, but that's a completely different topic.

(steps down, dusts off soapbox)

I'm with all the other critics about this test. I could actually feel some questions pulling me to strongly agree or at least agree. Some statements were so general that to disagree would defy common sense. It's like saying "water is wet" and you have four choices of agreement whereas you'd rather say "well, I guess so."

And as for my results, if they mean anything, they are:
-4 economic, -1 social.
Somehow landed on integer values. :D

(omg I just realized I forgot all the rules of punctuation with quotes, commas and capitals when I wrote up this reply. :aaa: )

Economic Left/Right: -4.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 5.74


Is that good? :rolleyes:

Economic Left/Right: -3.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.38 (this line makes me happy!)

ahh...u know...I iz just another one a' those Dalai Lama thinkalikes... not that I mind, anyways :) :) :)

Economic Left/Right: -1.12
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 4.82


Eh. This seems a bit off.

Economic Left/Right: -8.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.62

Hyuck, I'm super liberal. I got fairly close to Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.

Economic Left/Right: -4.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.69

Seems about right.

Economic Left/Right: -6.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.72


Not realy near anyone..

Well, i did not take the test, but i know who i am.
I am against the further spreading and multiplying of mankind, we are just sickening this planet.
Pollution, heat up, etc, etc.
And i see the HIV-Virus as a good thing too make sure there are not too many people anymore.
Well, i am almost a anti-globalist.

I took the test, and totally disagree with the results... (-1.62; -1.18) So I'm going to explain my vision in a big-butt novel ahere
I'm a libertanian as in, as people stay the hell out of my back yard, they can do whatever they damn well please in *theirs* and economically, against my better jugement, hardline right-wing.
I believe that the best thing to solve unemployment would be give any who are still capable of working (say 20-50 y/o, no mental or severe physical handicap) the blades choice: either submit to being retrained by the government to be employed in weak branches (education, health care, etc) and be paid a fair but limited wage, or be left to fend for themselves, keeping them only a tad short of downright starvation.
I don't favour many laws, and I see laws that would ban, say, same-sex marriage, abortion, or same-sex couples adopting a child as crazy, and that makes me libertanian.
However, I also believe that serious criminals (murderers, rapists, the *real* scum) should be executed, preferably painfully, and publicly.
Especially rapists should be made to suffer like the beasts they are... I consider rape to be at least as bad as murder.
Education should be available to those of higher age, and optional for youths. But if you skip school, expect to do a lousy job for little pay unless you A) do something with incredible hazard pay or B) get extremely lucky.
I view religion, especially organized religion, with distrust and distaste. Although I wouldn't ban it outright, I *definitely* not subsidize or support it.
The arts, ditto. I don't think art only 3% of society appreciates is worth having, if a theater or museum isn't economically viable, that means society doesn't value it, and thus shouldn't have to pay for it indirectly either.
I'm an anti-nationalist and anti-racist... but I wouldn't go for affirmative action either.
National pride is IMO only going to lead to all kinds of dubious mischief, same for racial theorems, and religion
Well, that pretty much sums it up... all those who have borne with me all the way through, thank you for your attention. *bows, and -poof-'s into a cloud of crimson smoke*

I agree with those of you who have noted that the quiz is aimed wide to the left adn seriously flawed. The questions are vague, some ask for facts more than opinion or you can see answers to some questions that can be viewed in tons of completley different ways.

Economic Left/Right: 1.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 1.03

Something is definatley wrong with that test. There's no way in the Nine Bloody He!!s that I'm more left than Paul Martin. Quite the opposite, I'm way to his right!

Although I consider myself (and have for a long time) fairly moderate, and I believe that this quiz is far from objective, I feel that this is actually a pretty accurate representation, at least as far as I am concerned.


Economic Left/Right: -2.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.87

Let's just say that I'm a lot more "left" than I used to be. A lot. (A post-graduate education will do that to ya! ;) ) The libertarian side was no surprise, as I've always been fairly libertarian, at least in the sense that I'm not much for Authoritarianism.

Economic Left/Right: -5.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.51

Dear God, I'm a commie facist!

Economic Left/Right: 0.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.97

Economic Left/Right: -5.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.67

I seem to remember getting completely opposite scores the last time I took that same test some year or two ago.

Anyway, that score hits pretty close to Dalai Lama. I guess I should feel wise and holy. Too bad I feel the test didn't look at the questions and answers at all the same way I did. While in princible I am a liberal person, I believe in extremely harsh methods of controlling those who are harmful to other people. And especially in the case of media and corporations, I would like very strict laws to make sure environmental agreements were held on to, and people weren't screwed for more profit.