Political Affiliation

[wotgoplunk]

As the question says: What is your political identity?

I myself would say moderate left. I'd guess that there will be more left than right amongst the musicians, but you never know...

[pianistimo]

weakly?  i'm weakly neutral.  it just sounds good.

frankly, politics does noone any good any more.  if we don't put our trust in God, how can we put any trust in the government.  trust in God.  He's more reliable.  and, only wants a 10th instead of 40%.  and He doesn't waste it.  you know - feeds/clothes the poor - etc.
 

[rach n bach]

Weakly neutral?  That just sounds like you don't have an opinion on whether you have an opinion or not...

RnB

[pianistimo]

actually, my opinions are so strong that i would die for them.  but, when either the so-called 'right' or 'left' call - i simply refuse to discuss political things.  i think it is an entirely private matter.  it has been made into a polling nightmare two years before elections - as though someone will be able to forecast the outcome.  where should money really be spent.   ON WHAT's HAPPENING RIGHT NOW TO THE AVERAGE PERSON. 

take your student loans. 

[pianogeek_cz]

As much as I hate to say it, this poll doesn't really fit the bill. There are two things that need to be considered: the economical policies (basically how free a market - the scale between socialism on the left and liberal economics - capitalism to the right) and how you face political issues not stemming from economy (although it's disputable whether there is a standpoint not basically derived from economics). A typical leftist/rightist conflict here is the Israel issue: leftists generally tend to stick with the Palestinian versions (and propose appeasement towards Iran), rightists see Israel as more credible. Another issue in this field would be abortion, or "intelligent design" (read: creationism) in schools. This is basically the scale between libertarian and authoritarian (or, anarchy vs. 100% control, as desired by the two great monster atrocity regimes of the 20th century). On today's political scene, right is defined usually as towards capitalism (In the Czech Republic, the strongest liberal economics party is inclined slightly libertarian, but I'm sure in different countries it's different.), whereas left is inclined more towards a socialistic system (as well as being slightly authoritarian, at least around here). Generally, however, the leading factor are the economy policies.

*looks on what he's written* A bit of clarification: With the leftist/rightist classification, it's more that the -opinion- is considered l/r, I know people who support Israel and abortion with the same zeal.

As for myself, I'm economically a rather extreme rightist (same taxes for everyone and as low as possible, etc.), as for the other issues, I tend to stick with right (for example, I'm definitely an Israel supporter, wouldn't legalize Marihuana, etc.) as well.

_______________________________________
*skims through the lines again/sighs*  I always want to write just a few lines, but it always ends up so long... Though contributive, I hope.

[thalbergmad]

I have never really understood what all this "left" and "right" stuff means.

I would be obliged if someone would give a brief explanation. Then i can work out where i am.

Ta

Thal

[ada]

As the question says: What is your political identity? (Libertarian counts as left, Authoritarian as right)

I myself would say moderate left. I'd guess that there will be more left than right amongst the musicians, but you never know...

I'd reconsider your definitions which I would suggest are simplistic and misinformed.

One would consider communists to be, er,  left leaning but plenty of communist regimes have been authoritarian.

OTOH "libertarianism" would suggest individualism rather than the collective, which doesn't sit too well with left wing ideology, does it?

Also, when I hear libertarianism, I think Marquis de Sade, not Liberals 

[mad_max2024]

https://www.politicalcompass.org/

When lost, use the political compass...

Here's mine

Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -5.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.97

[wotgoplunk]

I'd reconsider your definitions which I would suggest are simplistic and misinformed.

One would consider communists to be, er,  left leaning but plenty of communist regimes have been authoritarian.

OTOH "libertarianism" would suggest individualism rather than the collective, which doesn't sit too well with left wing ideology, does it?

Also, when I hear libertarianism, I think Marquis de Sade, not Liberals 

I know it isn't particularly correct, but most libertarians have a tendency to be on the left, and authoritarians on the right. I'll add the options to the poll.

[ada]

Imost libertarians have a tendency to be on the left, and authoritarians on the right.

strongly disagree 

[phil13]

I know it isn't particularly correct, but most libertarians have a tendency to be on the left, and authoritarians on the right. I'll add the options to the poll.

Think Stalin.

https://www.politicalcompass.org/

When lost, use the political compass...

Here's mine

Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -5.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.97

According to that quiz, I am in almost the exact same place as the Dalai Lama, and just below Gandhi on the compass chart.

Phil

(EDIT: Misplaced the test score, took it again, and found that I was actually lower than either of them.

Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -5.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.87

Phil)

[ted]

My political compass
Economic Left/Right: -7.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.95

[ahinton]

I have never really understood what all this "left" and "right" stuff means.

I would be obliged if someone would give a brief explanation. Then i can work out where i am.

Ta

Thal

Alkan. Op. 76. Get back to us after you've learnt that if you still have problems understanding it.

Best,

Alistair

[thalbergmad]

Economic Left/Right: 1.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 2.10

Have not got a clue what this means.

Thal

[rach n bach]

Economic Left/Right: 1.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 2.10

Have not got a clue what this means.

This means you're not nearly the skinhead we thought you were.

RnB

[thalbergmad]

Damn, must have matured.

I will do the test again.

Thal

[counterpoint]

https://www.politicalcompass.org/

When lost, use the political compass...

Here's mine

Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -5.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.97

Mine is:

Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -6.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.03

Just as I thought 

[pianogeek_cz]

Economy: 3.63 to the right
Society: 0.82 authoritarian

I would've placed myself further right on the economy scale.

Note this: https://www.politicalcompass.org/composers 

[rc]

Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -1.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.18

...Did I win?

[becca91]

What does the whole left/right thing mean?

[mephisto]

Left:

Less private property. More should be owned by the state. There shuoldn't be gaps between the people in terms of income; i.e not and elite who has much more than the rest of the inhabitans. I doubt that Bill Gates is a lefty.. Hospitals, and schools etc should be owned by the state, and there shouldn't be to many private schools. The extreme lefts would probably think that everything should be owned by the state. Want high taxes, and support wellfare issues like payment when you cannot work and high pensions.

Foreign policy:

A typical lefty person would be against the war in Iraq, do probably not like Bush and understand the Palestinians. And would want the poorer parts of the world like Africa to become better in terms of at least economy and civil wars.

Right:

Want most property to be owned by private persons, and very little to be owned by the state. This way schools and hospitals would be private, and could by teory go bankrupt. People should try to do most things by their own. Fewer wellfare issues. Low taxes. Some people feel that this kind of economic thinking would leed to bigger differences between people in terms of income, and would leed to artifical classes based on economic gaps.

Foreign policies:
Supports the war in Iraq and Afganistan. Supports Israel. Against foreigner moving into their own country(This point may be debatable). Loves Bush.

Tried to be unbiased.

[ail]

I think the question regarding international politics and war on Iraq or Israel is merely circunstantial. Or perhaps not. Perhaps we should say that since left, traditionally, lean towards a certain laicisism, while right is usually strongly religious and conservative, in the left predominates a sense of individual moral responsibility (not in the economy, though, where state is an all-father). As such, I think leftists tend to dislike the imposition from outside of a certain moral view, and that's what makes them against the ingerence of some countries on others with the express objective of changing the way that country is ruled. In general, this makes them less militaristic and more pro-peace (think hippies, John Lennon).

All in all, I think the original definitions were all very mudied by the occasional and circunstantial allegiances that occurred through the years. If I'm not mistaken, the whole left / right separation comes from the French Revolution, when the representatives of the people sat on the left of the president and the representants of the noble sat on the right. Technically, then, left and right should refer only to the ideas of these two groups at these points in time. But things evolve, and the terms sticked, and many different axes were joined.
As you can see if you read
on Wikipedia, the religious axis has been inconsistently associated with both left and wing views through the ages. What we have today is a pair of terms that are basically meaningless, since they've had contradictory meanings in the past. That's why the folks at Political Compass have made two axes, trying to distinguish, for example, between Old Left (primarily concerned with the economy and war of classes) and New Left (primarily concerned with cultural enlightenment, equal opportunities for all and generally an intelectual and proggressive view of society).

This will also make it possible for someone to say that leftists are generally libertarian and another disagree, because Stalin was authoritarian. So were Hitler and Mussolini, and so is Bush, and all of them are rightists.

So, this really has no direct correlation with the Left / Right axis.

In my personal view, the problem is that the dreaded communism system, which many view as the epythome of left and authoritarianism, can only succeed in small groups of people where all perfectly conscious of their part and role for the common welfare and equally committed to it, because it does involve a huge lot of sacrifice and abnegation, in accepting to have the same benefits and duties of all your neighbours even though you might be better than them.

At least, this is how I view it, but I'm totally uneducated in these subjects. Just a personal view.

Alex

[becca91]

This is what I got. WHat does it mean? Then again, I wasn't sure what a few of the questions were talking about.

Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: 0.63
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.67

[mephisto]

If I'm not mistaken, the whole left / right separation comes from the French Revolution, when the representatives of the people sat on the left of the president and the representants of the noble sat on the right.

Alex

I may have read it from questionable sources, but I have read(actually my teacher told it to me) that it comes from the Roman Empire/Republic. Those on the right side did always agree with what the president said and those on the left did always dissagree.

That being said, it sound quite unlikely.

[rach n bach]

This is why they refer to them as the left and right:

In Latin
Right = Dexter  (Dexteorus...)
Left = Sinister 

Simple as that.

That is really what they are... look 'em up. 

Please don't get mad... I just feel like joking around right now... 

RnB

[prometheus]

Less private property. More should be owned by the state.

I am quite on the left and I think it would be better to get rid of a state altogether.

Supports the war in Iraq and Afganistan. Supports Israel.

I don't think the right wing nationalists in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine agree with you there.

Maybe this was a fair try but I think you didn't do very well.

[phil13]

I am quite on the left and I think it would be better to get rid of a state altogether.


I don't think the right wing nationalists in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine agree with you there.

Maybe this was a fair try but I think you didn't do very well.

You are just inviting an argument.

Let's be honest- there is NO ONE who is completely left or right. What Mephisto posted is actually pretty accurate, but that doesn't mean that every conservative and liberal will fit the exact qualifications. Every person has some liberal views and some conservative views- whichever is the majority pretty much determines your affiliation.

Phil

[mephisto]

Maybe this was a fair try but I think you didn't do very well.

Some problems regarding the language to.