"How do you lean politically?" Topic

A common topic that comes up is whether the TMP membership leans left or right.

So why not settle it once and for all.

Options below.
Please refrain from grand standing with why you are amazing for having the beliefs you do. Just state your position briefly and if you like, any political party in your country that you are either a supporter of or tend to support.
Your stance on particular policies are only of interest if they differ from your overall stance.
In other words, if you consider yourself left-wing, don't list off all your left-wing views.

If you are left-wing and, f.x. support gun ownership, that'd warrant a short mention at your discretion.

Left is defined here as social justice, collective responsibility and government involvement in economics, right is defined here as social conservatism, individual responsibility and laissez faire economics.

Note that "freedom vs authoritarianism" is completely and utterly ignored. Both sides get just as excited about boots, they just get excited about different people being stomped by those boots.

Bear in mind that the Editor will likely nuke any posts that get carried away, so play nice.

A: Extreme / far right
B: Right wing
C: Right with some left views.
D: Left with some right views.
E: Left wing
F: Extreme / far left
G: Special snowflake
H: Disinterested in politics.

Last time we did this, it was an even split. Will be interesting to see how we compare now.

This was in 2003: TMP link

I guess you could assign a points value to each and add them all up to see if they average out :)

I am very conservative, I imagine somewhere in the neighborhood of 'B.'

I wouldn't ordinarily respond to this kind of , but I'm getting really depressed that two buddies of mine won't stop talking about politics and stick to wargaming, which keeps me from being bothered that they're both communists ;)

V/R,
Jack

Fiscally conservative, libertarian, with liberal social views (government has no business telling people what, or how to do stuff). To me, that is true conservatism, since government shouldn't be involved in people's personal lives.

I'm all for individual responsibility and laissez faire economics, and against .

So, taking a stab at that, depending upon the issue, probably in the ballpark of B/C, but easily flipping to A on some things, like the Constitution.

E

B, 'cause my momma raised me right, I guess. Oh, wait, I think I made a funny there.

E

C.

E.

Damon.

B

C/D – fiscal conservative, social liberal

Slightly to the right of Genghis.

x42

D/E Somewhat a fiscal conservative and a strong social liberal.

E.

Comparing apples and oranges though – the US "left" in many European countries would be considered "centre-right", so the answers are pretty much meaningless if you're polling a mix of Americans, Europeans and other nationalities too. (Shipping parties the other way, heaven only knows where, say, the French socialists would fit on the US political spectrum – "it's all a commie plot" I guess….) Similarly in a lot of countries there are centrist parties, supporting which isn't even an option in the poll.

I: totally disillusioned with politicians of any kind

or does this answer make me option G?

F. Myself.

D

LT

Doms has the plot. It's incredibly difficult to define Left/Right politics across the globe.The conservatives in the UK are pro-equal marriage, for example – not all, but it's the party line.

And I look at the GOP and see – and it's an attitude shared by many friends.

It IS very difficult to define left and right which is why I defined them in the OP ;)

D

G. Special Snowflake: anarchist

None of anyone's business and more to the point knowing somebodies politics is likely to make their input here be valued less/more than if they are just a name whose views and posts are read for what they are.

Also agree with Dom above, political labels are very different in differing places.

Perhaps that is/was true at some point Dom, but when Castro and Chavez think some in the US are to the left of them, and openly say so…….

Dom is right. "Socially liberal" in the US seems to mean that government should leave the individual alone. In Europe it means that the state intervenes to protect and provide with health care, housing and a wide range of "benefits" which guarantee a certain standard of living. We aren't comparing eggs with eggs. even the British Conservative party would view the U.S. Republican agenda as dangerously reactionary, the Tea Party would be totally beyond the pale. To make this valid, you'd need to divide the survey geographically.

Leaving out a libertarian option (fiscally conservative, socially liberal) would be ridiculous. The world simply doesn't divide along the lines you've described on a left/right axis.

What's your favorite planet? – but you can't consider Venus.
Favorite Soft Drink? Diet Pepsi is not an option.

from link is illustrative.

Whatever happens, I can't see this thread going well.

Are we dealing with the US political spectrum/definitions/perceptions here?
If so, then how do you rate non-US members? Assuming they might be interested in such a poll…

I'm a Morlockist: eat the rich.

(Actually E/D)

I'm NOT an old woman!!!!

I guess that conservative, with some liberal/leftist leanings. Although, being European, probably my idea of what it means to be "conservative" or "liberal" is different of what it means for an US citizen.

We have a secret ballot here.

If you need me to tell you my politics then you are not focusing on what the game table and that is… sad.

Like I Washington I choose to be an unaffiliated Independent voter.

link

It is not that Washington failed to understand the contribution of parties, but he was greatly concerned that they had previously, and would again, grow seeking more power than other groups to the detriment of the whole.

Washington was aware that other governments viewed political parties as destructive because of the temptation to manifest and retain power, but also because they would often seek to extract revenge on political opponents.

He viewed this to be detrimental to the young country as an entire nation.

He also saw the dangers in sectionalism (North vs. South) and warned that political factions gaining enough power could seek to obstruct the execution of the laws that were created by Congress and could prevent the three branches from properly performing their duties as outlined in the Constitution.

President Washington expresses genuine concern in that "the alternate domination" of one political party over another, thereby allowing one party to enjoy temporary power over the government that would use it to obtain revenge on the other.

He felt that this tendency toward atrocities directed at the party out of power "…is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism."

Reading the words of his Farewell Address, an adept reader may be astounded at how remarkably prophetic they are:

The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.

Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.

Washington argued that political parties needed to be restrained in a free country with a government empowered by the consent of the governed and established through popular elections. He warned of the possibility fearing they could distract the government from its required duty to the people and even lead to the eradication of the freedoms established by the founding.

Rob, do you usually support your views by citing Chavez and Castro? No, didn't think so, so why suddenly take them at face value on a single bizarre assertion…?

D to E

A+ somewhere to the right of Darth Vader :)

Who the hell is Rob?

I only know you people by your "label" (with rare exception) so someone's proper name and not their forum name/label it is confusing to me.

Yes, Dom I figured it out, but I did have to re-read all the posts until I found the post with the comment at the end.

Mute Bystander = Glenn in one of my e-mail personas (one for TMP, one for general personal life, one for active war gaming, one for family/close friends socializing, and three for work (only in the Federal Government/DOD/Intelligence Community would I need to change machines/systems/accounts to talk to different customers about a common data need they share…)

Edit: Don't get me started about vendors who won't sell to you unless you set up an account on their website…

E

B

No

Discussing politics is a subject that never goes smoothly.
I would just like people who are elected to public office to do what is right for their country and the people they represent no matter what "their" own agenda is….. but that will never happen.
Too many politicians have made careers out of living off the public and catering to special interest groups to further themselves and their own pockets.
Please don't think I am only going after those elected, We the people keep electing these maskless robbers so the voting population is to blame as well.
I can't understand how a president has term limits but a senator or congressman does not……………I need to stop now before I get dog housed.

I consider the Tea Party well meaning but a bit pink. Nice people though.

And I am sick and tired of the R party nominating old white guys whose turn it is but may as well have a D after their name.
And I could hold a mirror to some of my D friends' faces here and get the equal but opposite reaction.

My only hope is that the D party
The purpose of elections is to undo the damage that the last bunch of clowns inflicted on us.

The first Amendment to the US Constitution starts out with these immortal 5 words: "Congress shall pass no law….."
Would that that were enforced.

"Congress shall pass no law….."
Would that that were enforced.

To be fair, this Congress is having a ing good go at it. I'm not sure it's really working out, though…. ;-) On which note, I suspect it's time I abandoned thread, or possibly site, for a while…. ;-) CYL.

E

Somewhere between D and E. The law of supply and demand seems to have escaped conservatives currently in the USA. The economy needs more demand, not cutting taxes.

A- Tea Party Patriot.
"Don't tread on me"

Probably a B.

The one dimensional "left-right" scale is inadequate because it is simply a scale of economics.

Enter the second dimension and take the test:
link

D

Mute Bystander:
Washington was quite wise.