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You are here: MacNN Forums > Community > MacNN Lounge > Political/War Lounge > Let's take a look at where we are, ideologically speaking.

Let's take a look at where we are, ideologically speaking.
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Cap'n Tightpants
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Jun 25, 2015, 04:40 AM
 
https://www.politicalcompass.org/test

Here's mine, which I think is pretty damned liberal (in the classical sense of the word):

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but by the content of their character." - M.L.King Jr
     
Laminar
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Jun 25, 2015, 07:15 AM
 
     
BadKosh
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Jun 25, 2015, 07:27 AM
 
WOW! Center, with the spot just 1 square into the libertarian side.
     
subego
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Jun 25, 2015, 07:36 AM
 


I usually rate higher on civil liberties, but dead center (perhaps surprisingly to some) on economic issues is where I usually end up. I can't say I liked their questions, and am positive I'd disagree with how they weigh them.
     
subego
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Jun 25, 2015, 07:42 AM
 
I also prefer the compass I posted way back, which had better names for the ends of the axes.

Like "**** you with a plunger", and "big, white trash hair".
     
subego
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Jun 25, 2015, 07:44 AM
 
Originally Posted by BadKosh View Post
WOW! Center, with the spot just 1 square into the libertarian side.
Is that where you expected/normally show up?
     
The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 09:16 AM
 
Surprise, surprise

     
subego
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Jun 25, 2015, 09:21 AM
 
This is the part where I bring up Doofy's point which states you can't get that restrictive on economics without moving a lot closer to authoritarian than you've placed.
     
The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 09:25 AM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
This is the part where I bring up Doofy's point which states you can't get that restrictive on economics without moving a lot closer to authoritarian than you've placed.
But its not that I'm restrictive, it's that I find companies untrustworthy. I didn't say I'd actually do anything about it.
     
subego
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Jun 25, 2015, 09:33 AM
 
Hmm... I felt like I was giving answers which clearly forced companies to behave in certain ways due to their untrustworthiness, but ended up significantly right of you.
     
The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 09:36 AM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
Hmm... I felt like I was giving answers which clearly forced companies to behave in certain ways due to their untrustworthiness, but ended up significantly right of you.
That makes sense. If it was philosophical and not legislative you'd answer what you believe, not what you think is best. Which might go left.
     
subego
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Jun 25, 2015, 09:38 AM
 
Where was the ****ing gun question?
     
The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 09:38 AM
 
I mean, we can post questions and see where we differ.

Ex 1: It's a sad reflection on our society that something as basic as drinking water is now a bottled, branded consumer product.

I agree. Municipalities decided to degrade the quality of their tap water to save a few dollars (presumably for the taxpayer) and now we pay $1 for a glass of water. Who won here?
     
The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 09:40 AM
 
It's also possible I used the "strongly" option more often. Or not.
     
subego
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Jun 25, 2015, 09:41 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
That makes sense. If it was philosophical and not legislative you'd answer what you believe, not what you think is best. Which might go left.
I'm not sure I follow, but want to add you're three points from being pinned... you had to have answered something which was restrictive, no?
     
The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 09:48 AM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
I'm not sure I follow
I'd go further right out of practicality. Ex 2: The only social responsibility of a company should be to deliver a profit to its shareholders.
I believe companies have a greater responsibility than shareholders. But I would not legislate such a thing. Hence I seem more liberal in the answer than in reality.

Originally Posted by subego View Post
but want to add you're three points from being pinned...
wat

Originally Posted by subego View Post
you had to have answered something which was restrictive, no?
Sure. Ex 3: Because corporations cannot be trusted to voluntarily protect the environment, they require regulation.
****in' A, yeah. Some companies still dump chemicals into local water sources.

Ex 4: Governments should penalise businesses that mislead the public.
Well, yes. The free-market doesn't work here, except in the extremes. That said, do I want to impose a monetary penalty because Apple's commercials can be misleading? No, pulling it is enough.
Do I want impose a monetary penalty because a company that sells a product free of 'x' has been lying for years? Yes.
     
subego
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Jun 25, 2015, 09:49 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
I mean, we can post questions and see where we differ.

Ex 1: It's a sad reflection on our society that something as basic as drinking water is now a bottled, branded consumer product.

I agree. Municipalities decided to degrade the quality of their tap water to save a few dollars (presumably for the taxpayer) and now we pay $1 for a glass of water. Who won here?
A: this is an example of why I disliked this test. WTF kind of question is this?

B: we can agree to disagree, but I don't think you replied to the statement which was posed. You rephrased the statement as "It's a sad reflection on our society that something as basic as drinking water is now a bottled, branded consumer product which is so popular".

I would say this rephrased question is a sad state of affairs, but the fact it exists, which is all the question asks you consider... no, not a sad state of affairs.
     
subego
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Jun 25, 2015, 09:53 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
I'd go further right out of practicality. Ex 2: The only social responsibility of a company should be to deliver a profit to its shareholders.
I believe companies have a greater responsibility than shareholders. But I would not legislate such a thing. Hence I seem more liberal in the answer than in reality.

wat

Sure. Ex 3: Because corporations cannot be trusted to voluntarily protect the environment, they require regulation.
****in' A, yeah. Some companies still dump chemicals into local water sources.

Ex 4: Governments should penalise businesses that mislead the public.
Well, yes. The free-market doesn't work here, except in the extremes. That said, do I want to impose a monetary penalty because Apple's commercials can be misleading? No, pulling it is enough.
Do I want impose a monetary penalty because a company that sells a product free of 'x' has been lying for years? Yes.
I answered companies have a bigger social responsibility than just delivering profits to their shareholders.

I answered companies should be regulated to protect the environment.

I answered companies which mislead the public should be penalized.

FWIW. Maybe it was lacking the "strong".
     
The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 09:56 AM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
A: this is an example of why I disliked this test. WTF kind of question is this?
Well that's a completely different problem.

Originally Posted by subego View Post
B: we can agree to disagree, but I don't think you replied to the statement which was posed. You rephrased the statement as "It's a sad reflection on our society that something as basic as drinking water is now a bottled, branded consumer product which is so popular".
Good lord, no wonder we miscommunicate so often. I don't see how you get that out f my answer. I did not rephrase the statement; I gave the answer: Agree because: municipalities let tap water quality degrade to an undrinkable state to save money (for themselves and presumably in the name of the taxpayer) but taxpayers end up paying more on the free market than they would if the government had just continued doing so. That is a sad state of affairs.

Originally Posted by subego View Post
I would say this rephrased question is a sad state of affairs, but the fact it exists, which is all the question asks you consider... no, not a sad state of affairs.
See above.
     
The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 09:57 AM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
I answered companies have a bigger social responsibility than just delivering profits to their shareholders.

I answered companies should be regulated to protect the environment.

I answered companies which mislead the public should be penalized.

FWIW. Maybe it was lacking the "strong".
Well, we can take it again where I avoid 'strong' and see where it ends up, though I think I tried that before and barely improves things.
     
Cap'n Tightpants  (op)
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:10 AM
 
The existence of bottled water doesn't bother me, some people like posh bottles and frou-frou BS like that, more power to them. As long as there are free (or comparatively very cheap) potable alternatives, why should anyone care? How is its availability a "sad" thing?
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subego
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:12 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
Good lord, no wonder we miscommunicate so often. I don't see how you get that out f my answer. I did not rephrase the statement; I gave the answer: Agree because: municipalities let tap water quality degrade to an undrinkable state to save money (for themselves and presumably in the name of the taxpayer) but taxpayers end up paying more on the free market than they would if the government had just continued doing so. That is a sad state of affairs.
Where is the state of the municipal water system referred to in the question?
     
Cap'n Tightpants  (op)
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:15 AM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
Where is the state of the municipal water system referred to in the question?
The issue is that (IMO) Progressives think that it's somehow implied in the comment.
"I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a
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The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:16 AM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
Where is the state of the municipal water system referred to in the question?
Now I see your point. However, the genesis of the bottled water coming to market was what I referred to above. So is this a case of understanding history leaving me reading too deeply into the question, or merely understanding what many people don't?
     
BadKosh
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:17 AM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
Is that where you expected/normally show up?
NO! I expected to show as more conservative.
     
The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:18 AM
 
Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants View Post
The existence of bottled water doesn't bother me, some people like posh bottles and frou-frou BS like that, more power to them. As long as there are free (or comparatively very cheap) potable alternatives, why should anyone care? How is its availability a "sad" thing?
I agree – I wouldn't legislate that bottled water can't be sold – and philosophically I'm not opposed to it as an alternative to viable tap water.
     
The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:18 AM
 
Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants View Post
The issue is that (IMO) Progressives think that it's somehow implied in the comment.
To be fair, we don't know the intent of the author.
     
BLAZE_MkIV
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:24 AM
 
I'm trying to take this but I'm stuck on a question.

A genuine free market requires restrictions on the ability of predator multinationals to create monopolies.
Is this asking if I like monopolies, dislike monopolies or don't understand that "free market" and "restrictions" are incompatible?
     
Cap'n Tightpants  (op)
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:26 AM
 
The entire test seems to have been written by a Leftist Libertarian, so if you bear that in mind, their intention seems to be to convince people they aren't as far over into the authoritarian Right as they thought they were. However, a byproduct of that is centrists get mapped out to look like hippies.
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BLAZE_MkIV
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:26 AM
 
Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants View Post
The existence of bottled water doesn't bother me, some people like posh bottles and frou-frou BS like that, more power to them. As long as there are free (or comparatively very cheap) potable alternatives, why should anyone care? How is its availability a "sad" thing?
The sad thing is how loose the definition of drinking water has become. "It won't kill you unless you drink allot of it" isn't what i'm looking for in drinking water.
     
The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:26 AM
 
Originally Posted by BLAZE_MkIV View Post
"free market" and "restrictions" are incompatible?
Only in crazy extremist land. After all, is free speech dead once you can't yell "Fire!" in a theater?
     
The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:27 AM
 
Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants View Post
The entire test seems to have been written by a Leftist Libertarian, so if you bear that in mind, their intention seems to be to convince people they aren't as far over into the authoritarian Right as they thought they were. However, a byproduct of that is centrists get mapped out to look like hippies.
Hey, you're the one that posted it, buddy!
     
subego
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:28 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
Now I see your point. However, the genesis of the bottled water coming to market was what I referred to above. So is this a case of understanding history leaving me reading too deeply into the question, or merely understanding what many people don't?
If it was shitty tap water that started the deal with bottled water, that would have been in Europe, because that's where it started.

I'll defer to your knowledge of municipal tap water over the last 30 years, but I'm pretty sure branded, bottled water existed before this happened. If the state of affairs is sad now but was not sad then, how do you pin the sadness on the bottled water? The operative factor in the statement was the same then as it is now.

Anecdotal: our tap water is fine. It doesn't taste as good as bottled, and it's very hard, but it's certainly drinkable.
     
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:29 AM
 
Originally Posted by BLAZE_MkIV View Post
I'm trying to take this but I'm stuck on a question.

Is this asking if I like monopolies, dislike monopolies or don't understand that "free market" and "restrictions" are incompatible?
I said "disagree", because not all regulations are "restrictions". *shrug*
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:30 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
Hey, you're the one that posted it, buddy!
The scale posted doesn't matter, I simply wanted to see where we are relative to each other.
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The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:32 AM
 
Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants View Post
I said "disagree", because not all regulations are "restrictions". *shrug*
Put better than I could.

Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants View Post
The scale posted doesn't matter, I simply wanted to see where we are relative to each other.
Relax, I'm busting your chops.
     
subego
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:36 AM
 
Originally Posted by BLAZE_MkIV View Post
I'm trying to take this but I'm stuck on a question.



Is this asking if I like monopolies, dislike monopolies or don't understand that "free market" and "restrictions" are incompatible?
I put "agree" because you can get to the point where a monopoly starts egregiously distorting the market.

It's more important to clamp down on these distortions than maintain absolute freedom.

That said, I'm sure I'd be way less into the anti-trust than our government is.
     
The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:37 AM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
That said, I'm sure I'd be way less into the anti-trust than our government is.
Wait, is our government even into it anymore? What was the last big one, MS in the late 90s?
     
subego
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:42 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
Wait, is our government even into it anymore? What was the last big one, MS in the late 90s?
The government still is. Things have been quiet because corporations bend over backwards to avoid their gaze.
     
The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:44 AM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
The government still is. Things have been quiet because corporations bend over backwards to avoid their gaze.
You gotta give me examples (if you want). A big counterpoint is our banks need breaking up and welp, speaking of looking the other way...
     
Cap'n Tightpants  (op)
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:46 AM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
Wait, is our government even into it anymore? What was the last big one, MS in the late 90s?
They would have blocked the Comcast and TW merger.
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The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:48 AM
 
Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants View Post
They would have blocked the Comcast and TW merger.
Correct me if I'm wrong but according to standards that'd be the correct move, right? It wouldn't improve the market nor be beneficial for consumers.
     
subego
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Jun 25, 2015, 10:48 AM
 
Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants View Post
The issue is that (IMO) Progressives think that it's somehow implied in the comment.
And I think this is partially what grinds my gears about the question.

I can see what the author was going for, but in an attempt to come off as neutral, it ends up being a non sequitur.

"it's a sad state of affairs you can get water as a product."

Umm... no?
     
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Jun 25, 2015, 11:03 AM
 
Originally Posted by subego View Post
I put "agree" because you can get to the point where a monopoly starts egregiously distorting the market.

It's more important to clamp down on these distortions than maintain absolute freedom.

That said, I'm sure I'd be way less into the anti-trust than our government is.
I'm not arguing that restriction or regulations on the market are good or bad, but once you add them it's no longer a free market, and definitely not a "genuine free market"

My results
     
subego
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Jun 25, 2015, 11:10 AM
 
I don't disagree.

It's a problematic statement the way it's phrased.
     
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Jun 25, 2015, 11:28 AM
 
Isn't this the test that was formed by Libertarians in an effort to make everyone realize they were more Libertarian than they thought?

Regardless...

     
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Jun 25, 2015, 12:56 PM
 
DIdn't see this one coming.
     
The Final Dakar
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Jun 25, 2015, 01:09 PM
 
Originally Posted by Snow-i View Post
DIdn't see this one coming.
You're like subego, jr. Interesting!
     
subego
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Jun 25, 2015, 01:35 PM
 
Originally Posted by Jawbone54 View Post
Isn't this the test that was formed by Libertarians in an effort to make everyone realize they were more Libertarian than they thought?
My (pre-Internet) initial exposure didn't even try and hide its frothy objectivism.

The paper it was printed on boldly exclaimed "this is a GIFT, not a TIP... if this were a tip, you would be obligated by the government to pay taxes on it."
     
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Jun 25, 2015, 01:38 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
You're like subego, jr. Interesting!
Expect him to start overusing the word "shit".
     
 
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