Where do you stand? Take the political compass test!
Instead of getting entangled in yet another traditional P&C quibble I figured it would be much more interesting to see where you guys stand on more conservative political issues. Luck has that a pretty thorough and supposedly unbiased test exists in the guise of the Political Compass. I urge you all to take this very interesting test and report your findings in this thread so we can have meaningful and eloquent discussions 
The test itself consists of six parts in which statements are mede, you have to respond to each statement with a 'strongly agree', 'agree', 'disagree' or 'strongly disagree'. I'll give a snippet of what to expect, including my personal response:
Part I
How you see the country and the world.
I'd always support my country, whether it was right or wrong. I responded disagree
Military action that defies international law is sometimes justified. - agree
Part III
Personal social values
All authority must be questioned. - disagree
Significantly physically disabled people should not be allowed to reproduce. - strongly disagree
Part VI
'Finally, the one you've been waiting for. Sex.'
What goes on in a private bedroom between consenting adults is no business of the state. - strongly agree
After the test you get treated with a fairly detailed explanation how their measurement system works. Instead of the traditional distinction between 'left' and 'right' the test also makes a distinction between authoritarian and libertarian, graphically presenting the results of the test in a square(view). You get a score along the lines of the economic and social scales. This effectively places your test in either the authoritarian and libertarian halves and the left and right halves. Each 'extreme' is scaled along the sides of the square, communism, fascism, anarchism and neo-liberalism (in the theoretical sense of the word, not the US 'liberalism') have their place on the borders of the square (view).
And now the moment you have all been waiting for, the presentation of Koesj's results
I scored a decent 'Economic Left/Right: 2.12', 'Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.56' which puts me on the same line as... well no globally known political figure really. My social views are apparantly on the same line as Ghandi's or Mandela's but economically I'm leaning towards neo-liberalism. According to the apparantly British site my views would be best represented by the 'Liberal Democrats' party, unfortunately they have no words on foreign political parties.
How about you guys?
Do you know what "nemesis" means? A righteous infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent. Personified in this case by an 'orrible c*nt... me! - Brick Top
Economic Left/Right: -2.62
Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.44
On a few questions I would have preferred to have the option of ""don''t really care"" instead of agree/disagree. And I think it''s a extremely biased to put me somewhere between Ghandi and Nelson Mandela without other referrants. I notice there''s only a few, really cool people in the bottom left of the graph. I''m sure there''s some very uncool politicians that would get graphed near me.
Economic Left/Right: -5.62
Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.54
In the company of Mandela and the Dalai Lama. Or pretty close anyway.
"The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all."
Economic Left/Right: 2.75
Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.67
Apparently I''m a little to the left of Milton Friedman.
Reagan understood that the key to peace was never arms control. Security had nothing to do with the number of weapons, it had everything to do with the intention and power of those who possessed them. - Charles Krauthammer
Economic Left/Right: 3.50
Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.31
Very interesting, and pretty easy to see the bent of the people that made the quiz.
I''ll add more later, but I have work to do.
"It's so much easier to suggest solutions when you don't know too much about the problem." - Malcolm Forbes
I agree Johnny. Some of the statements seemed obviously biased, others slightly biased, still more...uberbiased. Even when I share a few of those biases, I find that pretty objectionable.
As I said above, the bias is obvious in fact that only a few people are listed in lower left, all of them really cool (mandela and ghandi, et al). Where''s Toricelli (sp?) and his toupee?
Mandela and necklaces. He isn''t the figure head that most people think.
About the test: It is way too biased to be any good. I''m a Classical Liberal, you all should know what that is.
For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance. ~Ron Shelton, Bull Durham, 1988
Just so all of you take note, I am both to the Left of and less authoritarian than JohnnyMojo. Oh, yeah, and he loves napalm and nukes. Please direct all of your catcalls of ""fascist"" and ""warmonger"" towards him until further notice.
Reagan understood that the key to peace was never arms control. Security had nothing to do with the number of weapons, it had everything to do with the intention and power of those who possessed them. - Charles Krauthammer
Nukes are good, and fascists are just another extreme of socialism.
"It's so much easier to suggest solutions when you don't know too much about the problem." - Malcolm Forbes
^^
Intelligent.
Do you know what "nemesis" means? A righteous infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent. Personified in this case by an 'orrible c*nt... me! - Brick Top
Well....he''s right. You''ve never seen a Classical Liberal dictator.
For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance. ~Ron Shelton, Bull Durham, 1988
Indeed, and when one looks at the similarities between hard-line socialism and fascism there isn''t much difference left.
Do you know what "nemesis" means? A righteous infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent. Personified in this case by an 'orrible c*nt... me! - Brick Top
Economic Left/Right: -0.88
Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.59
now that was fun, especially comparing my results to the others on that page
No hay banda!
Economic Left/Right: 1.62
Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.26
That positively reeked of bias. The questions read more like they were trying to tell me what the right answer was, although the FAQ says this was intended.
The most telling part of the bias was the assumption of exactly where each of these famous people would place on the chart...
Or maybe they got Margaret Thatcher and the Dalai Lama to log on...
Reagan understood that the key to peace was never arms control. Security had nothing to do with the number of weapons, it had everything to do with the intention and power of those who possessed them. - Charles Krauthammer
Economic Left/Right: -1.75
Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.87
Pretty much what I expected.
Economic Left/Right: -3.50
Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.54
Can''t complain about being in the company of the Dalai Lama.
"Men like sex, thus boobies! Oogaba!" - dejanzie
"If ads put your sanity to the test
come on down to Rat Boy's nest!
light up a stogie, and soon you'll see
how rock can be commercial-free!
'I'd hit it!'" - HP Lovesauce
And, thus far, the most left leaning member of the board? ME!
Ok, now look shocked!
Eco Left/Right: -4.38
Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.67
But, yeah, obviously biased. They put all the good people like Nelson Mandella and Ghandi with me, while they put all the evil people like Ariel Sharon and Dubya up there with JMJ and Ralcydan. Wait, maybe they''re on to something.....
ZING!
"I think Elysium has the right of it" - Certis
Elysium: How far have you looked into Mandella''s background? You do know he didn''t want to bring Democracy to South Africa but Communism and that he use to necklace people.
For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance. ~Ron Shelton, Bull Durham, 1988
Eco : -5.75
Social : -3.13
In the exact same spot as Ghandi!
Beat ya, Sean. Hooray for socialism!
"Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience." - Unknown
Hooray for conforming with the norm, how about having totally different viewpoints? I''m still the only real right-libertarian here and I haven''t even seen any left-authoritarians yet
Do you know what "nemesis" means? A righteous infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent. Personified in this case by an 'orrible c*nt... me! - Brick Top
I came in right libertarian, Koesj - so you''re in good company...
Reagan understood that the key to peace was never arms control. Security had nothing to do with the number of weapons, it had everything to do with the intention and power of those who possessed them. - Charles Krauthammer
Economic Left/Right: 3.3
Libertarian/Authoritarian: 3.9
Compared to all of you, I seem to be a raging fascist. Why are you all not in your uniforms?
I''m having a difficult time, Ulairi, pursuing your scandal. It seems the only sites that report on it, are obviously biased and often seem to want to expose how maligned the Apartheid movement was. I''d be interested in seeing a non-politically motivated exploration of Mandella''s politics and youth, but for now I note Mandella''s response below.
"I think Elysium has the right of it" - Certis
When I get off work I''ll dig you up some links.
For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance. ~Ron Shelton, Bull Durham, 1988
I''ll be interested to see them. I''m most influenced in links to unbiased historical accounts or biographical articles.
"I think Elysium has the right of it" - Certis
So I''m the closest to dead center yet:
Economic Left/Right: -0.88
Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.05
Mandela has stated many times that he likes the marxist ideals of a classless society. But I don''t think he is a communist, per se. Much more in line with European Socialism. I don''t think he was ever a member of the SACP, and charges that the ANC was controlled by the SACP were overblown.
http://home.wanadoo.nl/rhodesia/goodcom.html
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/report/news/january30/sampson-130.html
http://www.quotesandsayings.com/smandie.htm
http://www.africawithin.com/mandela/mandela_document.htm
"It's so much easier to suggest solutions when you don't know too much about the problem." - Malcolm Forbes
Interesting reading, and I think your characterization is pretty sound given the evidence, JMJ. I think a shared value of removing class from what was a deeply discriminatory society gave him good reason to gather allies where he could find them to facilitate freedom.
"I think Elysium has the right of it" - Certis