The Right-Left Political Matrix

Posted 2/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Political Left Believes:

-That the state knows better than its citizens what is in their best interests;
-In the primacy of the collective over the individual;
-That individual human lives can, and if necessary, must, be sacrificed for the “greater good” as defined by the state;
-That equality is more important than freedom (and that in the prologue to the perfect state, some individuals will be more equal than others);
-That political freedom is a myth, that law is useful only in so far as it advances the interests of the state, that private property is theft, and that public ownership of the means of production is the only way to ensure economic prosperity and equality for all;
-That the only freedom worthy of pursuit (by the state) is the freedom from physical wants for every citizen;
-That in the pursuit of economic progress (as defined by the state), the state is justified in using any measure to attain its goals (whatever its impact on individual welfare or individual lives);
-That the state should actively intervene in all spheres of life in pursuit of state-determined social and economic goals;
-That all economic and political activity should be controlled by the state;
-That social and environmental factors are the prime determinants of individual behavior;
-That truth and morality never were and can never be absolute, except in so far and for so long as they serve the interests of the state; otherwise, they are infinitely malleable;
-That the state is better suited to allocating scarce resources than the free market, including making decisions as to aggregate production and consumption and the setting of prices and wages;
-That the state has the first claim to its citizens’ income and wealth (i.e. what’s yours is theirs);
-That money (in private hands) is the root of all evil;
-That radical, revolutionary and, if necessary, brutally violent change is often the only way to transition from one political, social and/or economic system to another.

The Political Right Believes:

-That individuals can be trusted to act in their own best interests;
-That the individual is, and individual rights are, the cornerstone of civilized society;
-That every human life has value and merits equal protection under the law;
-That the measure of a civilized society is the degree of freedom accorded every individual within it;
-That political and economic freedom are predicated on the rule of law and the right to private property;
-That individual freedoms must include freedom of speech and expression (including freedom of the press), religion, assembly and mobility;
-That the surest path to economic progress is freedom of opportunity and the right of individuals to capture the rewards flowing from the risks they have taken;
-That pro-active discrimination by the state is rarely, if ever, justified in the interests of social and economic justice, however defined;
-That the best government is that which governs least;
-That individuals are accountable for their own actions;
-That truth has an objective basis and that moral principles are absolute;
-That, in most circumstances, the free market is the best mechanism for allocating scarce resources;
-That your income and wealth belong to you and that you are the best judge of how they should be invested or spent (i.e. what’s yours is yours);
-That profit is the just reward for economically and socially beneficial behavior;
-That social, political and economic change is best undertaken incrementally.

***

This left-right matrix was provided by a great friend of the program, VOLYA, which means Will and Liberty in both Russian and Ukrainian.

The Right-Left Political Matrix

Posted 2/24/2009 12:00:00 AM

The Political Left Believes:

-That the state knows better than its citizens what is in their best interests;
-In the primacy of the collective over the individual;
-That individual human lives can, and if necessary, must, be sacrificed for the “greater good” as defined by the state;
-That equality is more important than freedom (and that in the prologue to the perfect state, some individuals will be more equal than others);
-That political freedom is a myth, that law is useful only in so far as it advances the interests of the state, that private property is theft, and that public ownership of the means of production is the only way to ensure economic prosperity and equality for all;
-That the only freedom worthy of pursuit (by the state) is the freedom from physical wants for every citizen;
-That in the pursuit of economic progress (as defined by the state), the state is justified in using any measure to attain its goals (whatever its impact on individual welfare or individual lives);
-That the state should actively intervene in all spheres of life in pursuit of state-determined social and economic goals;
-That all economic and political activity should be controlled by the state;
-That social and environmental factors are the prime determinants of individual behavior;
-That truth and morality never were and can never be absolute, except in so far and for so long as they serve the interests of the state; otherwise, they are infinitely malleable;
-That the state is better suited to allocating scarce resources than the free market, including making decisions as to aggregate production and consumption and the setting of prices and wages;
-That the state has the first claim to its citizens’ income and wealth (i.e. what’s yours is theirs);
-That money (in private hands) is the root of all evil;
-That radical, revolutionary and, if necessary, brutally violent change is often the only way to transition from one political, social and/or economic system to another.

The Political Right Believes:

-That individuals can be trusted to act in their own best interests;
-That the individual is, and individual rights are, the cornerstone of civilized society;
-That every human life has value and merits equal protection under the law;
-That the measure of a civilized society is the degree of freedom accorded every individual within it;
-That political and economic freedom are predicated on the rule of law and the right to private property;
-That individual freedoms must include freedom of speech and expression (including freedom of the press), religion, assembly and mobility;
-That the surest path to economic progress is freedom of opportunity and the right of individuals to capture the rewards flowing from the risks they have taken;
-That pro-active discrimination by the state is rarely, if ever, justified in the interests of social and economic justice, however defined;
-That the best government is that which governs least;
-That individuals are accountable for their own actions;
-That truth has an objective basis and that moral principles are absolute;
-That, in most circumstances, the free market is the best mechanism for allocating scarce resources;
-That your income and wealth belong to you and that you are the best judge of how they should be invested or spent (i.e. what’s yours is yours);
-That profit is the just reward for economically and socially beneficial behavior;
-That social, political and economic change is best undertaken incrementally.

***

This left-right matrix was provided by a great friend of the program, VOLYA, which means Will and Liberty in both Russian and Ukrainian.

Ok, Chavez wins the referendum - no term limits. He can now theoreticaly be a president for life - if he wins an election every few years.

Now, I dont think I have to point out whos side Im on in this issue... I find myself agreeing with practicly every move he makes.

I wonder what hitler and obama think of porn?

		Deep Freeze wrote:
		Sorry, I have no time for this.  There is a White Supremecy rally downtown today and then I am going to watch porn.........      _strat_ wrote: First, I didnt take it personaly. Ive been here too long for that, and you know it. And, yes I know you didnt write it, and I suspected that it was a joke - tho with certain blogers out there, it could have very well passed as truth. Now then... I pointed out that there are massive differences between Kenya and the USA, and minimum differences between Austria and Germany. Certainly an Austrian in Germany wouldnt be pounded with so much racist shit as Obama was in the US. That, and Hitlers role in world war 1 had a massive influence on his political views. And of course, Hitler revealed his goals way before he was elected, so people did know what he wanted to do. Maybe they didnt believe that he wouldnt succed... But that is another matter. Now, my point was to present that there are huge differences between the two - infact that they are much more different than alike. And again... Nothing personal is meant. You know it.      Deep Freeze wrote: Your first comment is irrelevant. (A country is a country and cultures are not the point) Your second comment makes NO sense as it is, again  not the point. What does fighting in a war have to do with what was written? Your third and fifth comment are unimportant since the POINT is, no one knew until it was TOO LATE. And finally, your fourth comment is misguided, as I am merely showing an aptitude for BOTH men to utilize sympathetic audience for political gain, which is really what I was getting at in the FIRST place!  As for stupidity..well, it is not my writing so I cannot claim ownership, nor was it a discovery. It is a joke. Leave it to you to take it personally OR  make it personal.!      _strat_ wrote: First of all - Obamas two countries are US and Kenya - half a world apart, and very different. Hitlers two countries were Austria and Germany - neighbours, identical language, identical culture and in Hitlers time the Austrian national identity was barely developing from the German. Second of all, Obama didnt fight in World War 1 - Hitler did. Third of all - Obama blames the right things for the shit (free market in particular) while Hitler chose to be a bonehead and just blame it on the Jews. Fourth of all - Hitler belonged to an ethnic majority - Obama is the opposite Fifth of all - Hitler had a vision of a superior race that would take over Europe and wipe out the "untermensch". Obama doesnt. If we want to we can find similarities between a potato and a toothbrush. But we can always take a better look, and see that your discovery is in essence just plain stupid.      Deep Freeze wrote: I just HAD to share this!! Guess who it is???? I was born in one country, raised in another. My father was born in another country. I was not his only child. He fathered several children with numerous women. I became very close to my mother, as my father showed no interest in me. My mother died at an early age from cancer. Later in life, questions arose over my real name. My birth records were sketchy and no one was able to produce a legitimate, reliable birth certificate. I grew up practicing one faith but converted to Christianity, as it was widely accepted in my country, but I practiced non-traditional beliefs & didn't follow Christianity, except in the public eye under scrutiny. I worked and lived among lower-class people as a young adult, disguising myself as someone who really cared about them. That was before I decided it was time to get serious about my life and I embarked on a new career. I wrote a book about my struggles growing up. It was clear to those who read my memoirs that I had difficulties accepting that my father abandoned me as a child. I became active in local politics in my 30's then with help behind the scenes, I literally burst onto the scene as a candidate for national office in my 40s. They said I had a golden tongue and could talk anyone into anything. That reinforced my conceit. I had a virtually non-existent resume, little work history, and no experience in leading a single organization. Yet I was a powerful speaker and citizens were drawn to me as though I were a magnet and they were small roofing tacks. I drew incredibly large crowds during my public appearances. This bolstered my ego. At first, my political campaign focused on my country's foreign policy. I was very critical of my country in the last war and seized every opportunity to bash my country. But what launched my rise to national prominence were my views on the country's economy. I pretended to have a really good plan on how we could do better and every poor person would be fed & housed for free. I knew which group was responsible for getting us into this mess. It was the free market, banks & corporations. I decided to start making citizens hate them & if they were envious of others who did well, the plan was clinched tight. I called mine "A People's Campaign" and that sounded good to all people.  I was the surprise candidate because I emerged from outside the traditional path of politics & was able to gain widespread popular support.  I knew that, if I merely offered the people 'hope' , together we could change our country and the world. So, I started to make my speeches sound like they were on behalf of the downtrodden, poor, ignorant to include "persecuted minorities" like the Jews. My true views were not widely known & I needed to keep them unknown, until after I became my nation's leader. I had to carefully guard reality, as anybody could have easily found out what I really believed, if they had simply read my writings and examined those people I associated with. I'm glad they didn't. Then I became the most powerful man in the world. And the world learned the truth. Who am I? ADOLF HITLER.  AND JUST WHO WERE YOU THINKING OF?

First of all - Obamas two countries are US and Kenya - half a world apart, and very different. Hitlers two countries were Austria and Germany - neighbours, identical language, identical culture and in Hitlers time the Austrian national identity was barely developing from the German.

Second of all, Obama didnt fight in World War 1 - Hitler did.

Third of all - Obama blames the right things for the shit (free market in particular) while Hitler chose to be a bonehead and just blame it on the Jews.

Fourth of all - Hitler belonged to an ethnic majority - Obama is the opposite

Fifth of all - Hitler had a vision of a superior race that would take over Europe and wipe out the "untermensch". Obama doesnt.

If we want to we can find similarities between a potato and a toothbrush. But we can always take a better look, and see that your discovery is in essence just plain stupid.

		Deep Freeze wrote:
		I just HAD to share this!! Guess who it is???? I was born in one country, raised in another. My father was born in another country. I was not his only child. He fathered several children with numerous women. I became very close to my mother, as my father showed no interest in me. My mother died at an early age from cancer. Later in life, questions arose over my real name. My birth records were sketchy and no one was able to produce a legitimate, reliable birth certificate. I grew up practicing one faith but converted to Christianity, as it was widely accepted in my country, but I practiced non-traditional beliefs & didn't follow Christianity, except in the public eye under scrutiny. I worked and lived among lower-class people as a young adult, disguising myself as someone who really cared about them. That was before I decided it was time to get serious about my life and I embarked on a new career. I wrote a book about my struggles growing up. It was clear to those who read my memoirs that I had difficulties accepting that my father abandoned me as a child. I became active in local politics in my 30's then with help behind the scenes, I literally burst onto the scene as a candidate for national office in my 40s. They said I had a golden tongue and could talk anyone into anything. That reinforced my conceit. I had a virtually non-existent resume, little work history, and no experience in leading a single organization. Yet I was a powerful speaker and citizens were drawn to me as though I were a magnet and they were small roofing tacks. I drew incredibly large crowds during my public appearances. This bolstered my ego. At first, my political campaign focused on my country's foreign policy. I was very critical of my country in the last war and seized every opportunity to bash my country. But what launched my rise to national prominence were my views on the country's economy. I pretended to have a really good plan on how we could do better and every poor person would be fed & housed for free. I knew which group was responsible for getting us into this mess. It was the free market, banks & corporations. I decided to start making citizens hate them & if they were envious of others who did well, the plan was clinched tight. I called mine "A People's Campaign" and that sounded good to all people.  I was the surprise candidate because I emerged from outside the traditional path of politics & was able to gain widespread popular support.  I knew that, if I merely offered the people 'hope' , together we could change our country and the world. So, I started to make my speeches sound like they were on behalf of the downtrodden, poor, ignorant to include "persecuted minorities" like the Jews. My true views were not widely known & I needed to keep them unknown, until after I became my nation's leader. I had to carefully guard reality, as anybody could have easily found out what I really believed, if they had simply read my writings and examined those people I associated with. I'm glad they didn't. Then I became the most powerful man in the world. And the world learned the truth. Who am I? ADOLF HITLER.  AND JUST WHO WERE YOU THINKING OF?

First of all - Obamas two countries are US and Kenya - half a world apart, and very different. Hitlers two countries were Austria and Germany - neighbours, identical language, identical culture and in Hitlers time the Austrian national identity was barely developing from the German.

Second of all, Obama didnt fight in World War 1 - Hitler did.

Third of all - Obama blames the right things for the shit (free market in particular) while Hitler chose to be a bonehead and just blame it on the Jews.

Fourth of all - Hitler belonged to an ethnic majority - Obama is the opposite

Fifth of all - Hitler had a vision of a superior race that would take over Europe and wipe out the "untermensch". Obama doesnt.

If we want to we can find similarities between a potato and a toothbrush. But we can always take a better look, and see that your discovery is in essence just plain stupid.

		Deep Freeze wrote:
		I just HAD to share this!! Guess who it is???? I was born in one country, raised in another. My father was born in another country. I was not his only child. He fathered several children with numerous women. I became very close to my mother, as my father showed no interest in me. My mother died at an early age from cancer. Later in life, questions arose over my real name. My birth records were sketchy and no one was able to produce a legitimate, reliable birth certificate. I grew up practicing one faith but converted to Christianity, as it was widely accepted in my country, but I practiced non-traditional beliefs & didn't follow Christianity, except in the public eye under scrutiny. I worked and lived among lower-class people as a young adult, disguising myself as someone who really cared about them. That was before I decided it was time to get serious about my life and I embarked on a new career. I wrote a book about my struggles growing up. It was clear to those who read my memoirs that I had difficulties accepting that my father abandoned me as a child. I became active in local politics in my 30's then with help behind the scenes, I literally burst onto the scene as a candidate for national office in my 40s. They said I had a golden tongue and could talk anyone into anything. That reinforced my conceit. I had a virtually non-existent resume, little work history, and no experience in leading a single organization. Yet I was a powerful speaker and citizens were drawn to me as though I were a magnet and they were small roofing tacks. I drew incredibly large crowds during my public appearances. This bolstered my ego. At first, my political campaign focused on my country's foreign policy. I was very critical of my country in the last war and seized every opportunity to bash my country. But what launched my rise to national prominence were my views on the country's economy. I pretended to have a really good plan on how we could do better and every poor person would be fed & housed for free. I knew which group was responsible for getting us into this mess. It was the free market, banks & corporations. I decided to start making citizens hate them & if they were envious of others who did well, the plan was clinched tight. I called mine "A People's Campaign" and that sounded good to all people.  I was the surprise candidate because I emerged from outside the traditional path of politics & was able to gain widespread popular support.  I knew that, if I merely offered the people 'hope' , together we could change our country and the world. So, I started to make my speeches sound like they were on behalf of the downtrodden, poor, ignorant to include "persecuted minorities" like the Jews. My true views were not widely known & I needed to keep them unknown, until after I became my nation's leader. I had to carefully guard reality, as anybody could have easily found out what I really believed, if they had simply read my writings and examined those people I associated with. I'm glad they didn't. Then I became the most powerful man in the world. And the world learned the truth. Who am I? ADOLF HITLER.  AND JUST WHO WERE YOU THINKING OF?

I was not his only child. He fathered several children with numerous women.
I became very close to my mother, as my father showed no interest in me.
My mother died at an early age from cancer.

Later in life, questions arose over my real name.
My birth records were sketchy and no one was able to produce a legitimate, reliable birth certificate.
I grew up practicing one faith but converted to Christianity, as it was widely accepted in my country, but I practiced non-traditional
beliefs & didn't follow Christianity, except in the public eye under scrutiny.

I worked and lived among lower-class people as a young adult, disguising myself as someone who really cared about them.
That was before I decided it was time to get serious about my life and I embarked on a new career.
I wrote a book about my struggles growing up. It was clear to those who read my memoirs that I had difficulties accepting that my
father abandoned me as a child.

I became active in local politics in my 30's then with help behind the scenes, I literally burst onto the scene as a candidate for
national office in my 40s. They said I had a golden tongue and could talk anyone into anything. That reinforced my conceit.

I had a virtually non-existent resume, little work history, and no experience in leading a single organization. Yet I was a powerful
speaker and citizens were drawn to me as though I were a magnet and they were small roofing tacks.
I drew incredibly large crowds during my public appearances.
This bolstered my ego.

At first, my political campaign focused on my country's foreign policy. I was very critical of my country in the last war and
seized every opportunity to bash my country. But what launched my rise to national prominence were my views
on the country's economy. I pretended to have a really good plan on how we could do better and every poor person would be fed & housed for free.

I knew which group was responsible for getting us into this mess. It was the free market, banks & corporations. I decided to start
making citizens hate them & if they were envious of others who did well, the plan was clinched tight.

I called mine "A People's Campaign" and that sounded good to all people.  I was the surprise candidate because I emerged from outside
the traditional path of politics & was able to gain widespread popular support.  I knew that, if I merely offered the people 'hope' , together
we could change our country and the world. So, I started to make my speeches sound like they were on behalf of the downtrodden, poor,
ignorant to include "persecuted minorities" like the Jews. My true views were not widely known & I needed to keep them unknown, until after I
became my nation's leader.

I was not his only child. He fathered several children with numerous women.
I became very close to my mother, as my father showed no interest in me.
My mother died at an early age from cancer.

Later in life, questions arose over my real name.
My birth records were sketchy and no one was able to produce a legitimate, reliable birth certificate.
I grew up practicing one faith but converted to Christianity, as it was widely accepted in my country, but I practiced non-traditional
beliefs & didn't follow Christianity, except in the public eye under scrutiny.

I worked and lived among lower-class people as a young adult, disguising myself as someone who really cared about them.
That was before I decided it was time to get serious about my life and I embarked on a new career.
I wrote a book about my struggles growing up. It was clear to those who read my memoirs that I had difficulties accepting that my
father abandoned me as a child.

I became active in local politics in my 30's then with help behind the scenes, I literally burst onto the scene as a candidate for
national office in my 40s. They said I had a golden tongue and could talk anyone into anything. That reinforced my conceit.

I had a virtually non-existent resume, little work history, and no experience in leading a single organization. Yet I was a powerful
speaker and citizens were drawn to me as though I were a magnet and they were small roofing tacks.
I drew incredibly large crowds during my public appearances.
This bolstered my ego.

At first, my political campaign focused on my country's foreign policy. I was very critical of my country in the last war and
seized every opportunity to bash my country. But what launched my rise to national prominence were my views
on the country's economy. I pretended to have a really good plan on how we could do better and every poor person would be fed & housed for free.

I knew which group was responsible for getting us into this mess. It was the free market, banks & corporations. I decided to start
making citizens hate them & if they were envious of others who did well, the plan was clinched tight.

I called mine "A People's Campaign" and that sounded good to all people.  I was the surprise candidate because I emerged from outside
the traditional path of politics & was able to gain widespread popular support.  I knew that, if I merely offered the people 'hope' , together
we could change our country and the world. So, I started to make my speeches sound like they were on behalf of the downtrodden, poor,
ignorant to include "persecuted minorities" like the Jews. My true views were not widely known & I needed to keep them unknown, until after I
became my nation's leader.

DONT LISTEN TO THE REPUBLICAN!!! He is evil, evil I say! And it means that you are on my side. Good, because Im in a desperate need for some allies here!

		spapad wrote:
		Turns out I lean towards a liberaterian left. Now, if I only knew exactly what that means, no I didn't read the results just looked at the pictures! LOL      _strat_ wrote: Lol... No, no, no... You cant get rid of me that easy, when it comes to politics... If you get a result like that, then you will have to explain why are you a centrist and a third way - ist!      spapad wrote: HA!! I gonna go take that test Strat and when the results come back 0,0,0,0, you'll know why I don't comment too much down here. LOL      _strat_ wrote: I found this litte thing on the net: http://www.politicalcompass.org/ Basicly, it gives you a whole bunch of questions, ranging from economy, social issues, ect. and determines your political standing. The special thing is that it does not only determine the usual "left - right" division, but also your standing on libertarian vs. authoritarian, which gives imo a much better picture. Now... Anyone up for it? I took it. Results:  -9,50 -7,13 Which place me firmly in the bottom left quadrant of the libertarian left.