Proud Libtard
Who knew!?
Of course, the problem with this nonsense is that the test is designed in such a simplistic manner that it cannot account for who we really are any better than can a simple left/right scale … its a priori assumptions about what my answers mean starting out from what I would consider a very right/libertarian stance to begin with and, unfortunately, being very confused about what the intersections and interactions are between the social and economic values when I answer the questions.
Do I think the State should intervene in my personal life?
Well, that depends on just how much my libertarian lifestyle impinges upon others … or, to put it in a nutshell, just how much of a selfish c*nt I am; my all-night-every-night parties might well be none of the State’s business as far as I am concerned, but my neighbours might feel justifiably aggrieved if it doesn’t step in and prevent my assholery ruining their lives — and the real me … not the one the Political Compass would have me be … would agree with them ¹.
And I’m pretty sure my answers re the dangers of unfettered corporate freedoms would mean I’m considerably more authoritarian than indicated here: if I were in charge, you’d be free to run businesses under very strict terms and conditions indeed … and they and everyone running/profiting from them would be regulated to within a nanometre of their lives, let me tell you — you’d be able to do what you liked, provided it weren’t immoral, unethical or environmentally unsound, you ran it morally, ethically and environmentally soundly and a very close watch would be kept on all of you to ensure that it were.
And, on top of that, the State would provide first class services, funded by seriously high taxes (à la the Scandinavian model), so that anyone wanting to compete with it would have to offer their potential customers exceptional products and services to have even a glimmer of a hope of doing so — free enterprise is fine … I’m all for it … but there will be no race to the bottom in any nation I’m in charge of.
Do I believe in an eye-for-an-eye and a tooth-for-a-tooth?
No, I believe in education and rehabilitation.
But, given the opportunities available to everyone in my utopia, anyone who then commits a crime will not be doing so because they didn’t know any better or have any better opportunities in Life.
So that process of education and rehabilitation will not be a tree-hugging, hippy-dippy, “Let’s all hold hands and sing Kumbya around the campfire” approach but a serious process of explaining to you that your sociopathic tendencies mean that, if you make one more mistake … just one … you’ll be locked up for life in a very nice, ‘gated’ community, with lovely gardens and all the facilities you could possibly want … but life will mean life and you’ll never be getting out again; just be thankful I’m not a hypocrite, impose my own values/rules on myself and ensure research is funded into a cure for the likes of you rather than deciding that the incurably self-centred are an intolerable burden upon Society and and enacting capital punishment without delay — because my personal inclination is to apply the on-the-spot judge-jury-and-executioner approach of Judge Dredd or Marshal Law, with the only punishment … for all crimes of an antisocial nature (including simply not cleaning up after your dog) … being to string you up from a lamppost in the street pour encourager les autres.
‘Do what thou willst and it harm no other by intent or neglect’ shall be the whole of the Law.
I’m pretty liberal, progressive, tolerant, open-minded, easy-going, relaxed … so, as long as you’re not a self-centred arsehole, as far as I’m concerned just do your thing — whatever floats your boat, you know.
But harm another in any way and the full weight of the State will come down upon you in such a manner as to make Duloc look like a sink of Bohemian depravity and Stalin look like a kindly old Sunday school teacher.
TL;DR: Be nice … or else!
Ever so slowly, I don’t seem quite so radically libertarian, do I?
Or as liberal.
But you’d never guess that from the answers I gave in the test or the result calculated from them — according to which I’m as libertarian as Ayn Rand and nearly as saintly as Gandhi … which I most certainly am not, on either account.
The problem with these sorts of analyses is that the Overton window will determine the result rather than any given belief’s platonic form or ideal; what someone else thinks I mean and what I think I mean by ‘radical’, ‘extreme’ or ‘liberal’ might be two entirely different things now, whereas, in the Past, I might have been considered to have mainstream views or, alternatively, radical ones — it depends upon what the norm is today, not my actual beliefs.
So, I refute the analysis — I don’t agree with the taken-for-granted assumptions vis a vis the meaning of my answers.
Yes, I’m ‘liberal’. Yes I’m ‘progressive’. Yes, I’m tolerant and open-minded.
Don’t let that lead you astray though: I may be heterosexual, but I still don’t like c*unts … and will come down hard on you, if you are one.
Vote for me as (Benign) Dictator Of The Universe In Perpetuity … and I’ll execute you last.
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¹ In real Life, after a night out, when everyone piles back to mine for the after-party, I don’t allow them to turn the music up loud at 08:00/8am; the neighbours have little kids and I don't think it fair to ruin their Saturday/Sunday morning lie-in after a hard week at work and bringing up their kids, just because I'VE been out partying all night and have no idea how loud the music really is as a result — so, I not only play safe, but am considerate as well ... treating others how I wish to be treated myself ².
² Messed up, I may be ... an inconsiderate bastard I am not 😀
