The political compass: sense of c99, where its members stand.

After days, weeks, even months of surfing the intertubes (well, actually alligators don't surf) I have come across many websites on YouTube. Some are absolutely looney, and I am not talking about Alex Jones et.al (although he is definitely "out there"). If you like conspiracy theories, you will have your heart's delight. Now, I do frequent the "Amen Corner" such as TYT, Jimmy Dore, Humanist, Secular Talk, and the Sane Progressive. But, desiring not to live in a pseudo-progressive ideological bubble, it is good to take a look around and see whatever other views are available, even the probably improbable ones. One doesn't have to swallow everything that's put out. Use critical thinking skills before judging. After all, we at c99 hold ourselves up as being able to dissect through the B.S. with reason (even if a certain amount of confirmation bias is inevitable).

Thus I have come across some truly interesting sites, with which I do not or may not agree. Many of these sites, even RW ones can present reasoned arguments; these are worthy of critical examination.

I actually am more prejudiced against so-called liberal sites that were all in for Killary; e.g., HuffPo, NYT, WaPo, primarily because they completely deny their biases.

One fantastic (an adjective I rarely use) site which is extremely thought-provoking is that of Sargon of Akkad, whose a Brit by the name of Carl Benjamin. I strongly recommend taking a look at his site. Because he has a UK-type of outlook, his take on events American can, like DeToqueville, be quite accurate.

An essay of his, my Political Compass results inspired me to look up this test which I completed several years ago, and repeated just before watching his video. I did not want to have my responses prejudiced by his--and they weren't.

The test, which is free, and the results which are instantaneous upon test completion, also free are pretty interesting. To take the test merely go to socialcompass.org. Completion takes less than 10 minutes. Of course not all answers are black or white.

My results landed me in the lower left (green) area. My scores were: economics: -6.5; social: -5.69.

This puts me in the same general quadrant as Ghandi, though I possess little of the man's greatness.
It could be quite interesting to gain a sense of the community, at least on how we rate on the Political Compass.

I've published my results. I would certainly be interested if others would do the same in the comment section.

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Bisbonian's picture

@PriceRip was somewhat similar to this one...a way to get people to take the test and post their results. I, and everyone who answered, ended up solidly in the green corner.

When I left DKos, I erased all of my essays, except the one where I asked people to post, and the one where I plotted everyone's answers (including the leading politicians of the time...for contrast) on one graph. It may still be there.

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

Mom always said, 'question everything, question everyone.'
I took that advice to heart. I've always sought out the opinions of those I believe oppose me. I also apply critical thinking to the opinions of those I believe are my allies. The results are not always pretty.

The best example of this would be that I no longer say that I am not a feminist. Now I say I am anti-feminism. I believe in the full legal personhood of women and men equally, and the removal of all legal limits to opportunity and access. But that's not what the current strain of feminism is about. The future is female!? Fuck that sexist misandric shit.
The current strain of feminism is the weakest link and biggest chink in the armor of the liberal left. NO, everything is not racist, everything is not sexist, everything is not misogyny. NO, everything is not the patriarchy. What legal rights do men have that women do not? Are there any? I haven't found one yet.

No, current feminism is not about equality. It's toxic, yes it's cancer. It's why we have Trump in the Whitehouse.

Now Al, I like Sargon too. I like Milo and Christina Hoff Sommers and Camille Paglia. I especially like ShoeOnHead's video's. That girl always has me laughing soo hard. She's comedic gold to my mind.

When I first took 'the test' at TOP, way back, I ended up on the far left wall, one up from the bottom of the chart. This time I ended up at -7.88 -5.79. No matter how many times I take this test I will always be in that green area on the bottom left, much closer to the far left row and very bottom row, than to the right and up of that green area.

The future is female? Fuck you Hillary. Fuck you and the donkey you rode in on. (The donkey being Bill and the DLC mindset).

BTW, if you want to argue feminism with me, just forget it. Nothing you have to say is valid, because Matriarchy. I seriously need a safe space away from you people.

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With their hearts they turned to each others heart for refuge
In troubled years that came before the deluge
*Jackson Browne, 1974, Before the Deluge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SX-HFcSIoU

CB's picture

@dennis1958
of management? The US, Finland, UK or Russia?
Her's the answers:
http://www.grantthornton.global/en/press/press-releases-2015/women-in-bu...

Maybe the following has something to do with it?
https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/the-prettier-sex-understandin...
There are some interesting concepts in that link. What is your view?

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@CB @CB And most welcome to see them. I feared no one would dare reply. Thankfully you saw that my last sentence was a joking mockery of certain aspects of current feminism and not an actual prohibition of debate.

Your link to The Prettier Sex I'm saving for use in my Gender Peace movement.
This line,

Interestingly, it even made me question some of my customs from the United States, like why we value having a job over finding love.

speaks not only to the soul of the female, but to the male soul as well. Seeing that quote made my day. Thanks CB.

I'm not so sure about quotas as proscribed in the Women in Business link.
All things being equal, shouldn't merit be the only rule? Should we have women in positions of responsibility and power? Absolutely yes. Should some of those positions of responsibility and power be filled by the less qualified ONLY because they are women? To my mind that's a harder sell.
BUT, in the name of Gender Peace, I, and I'm thinking most men, will go along with quotas. At least for awhile right?

My evolution to becoming an Anti-Feminism/Gender Peace'r began in the 60's when I rejected the demonization of men and maleness. I've always believed in women's rights but I was never a feminist. I was for Gender Peace way back then, I just didn't know it.
My journey from not feminist to Anti-Feminism was much shorter. Beginning with vague suspicions that 4th wave feminism and the Hillary Clinton for president effort were joined at the hip and with an increasing disgust of the vehemently anti-male discourse of feminism, and culminating with illegal 'manspreading. I say enough is enough.
No more unchallenged carving out of additional female privileges. No more supporting candidates or causes that dismiss men's issues out of hand.
If we can't talk about disparities in healthcare funding (Why does breast cancer get soo much more money than my cancer?), disparities in suicide, sentencing, child custody, work place deaths, do women have to pre-register for the draft in able to retain their civil rights yet? I've seen feminist organizations lobby Minnesota state house committees to NOT even consider a domestic violence shelter for men.
This form of feminism, which uses false narratives and victimhood to punish maleness and to carve out even more female privilege, is harmful to me and is my enemy.
Gender Peace is WAY better than current day feminism. For everyone.
Men don't hate women. And I don't believe women hate men either.

Here's a talk on current day feminism from two long time feminist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv7LvRhvgNI

One last point. I blame this ridiculous and so very easily ridiculed form of current day feminism to be directly responsible for President Trump.

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With their hearts they turned to each others heart for refuge
In troubled years that came before the deluge
*Jackson Browne, 1974, Before the Deluge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SX-HFcSIoU

SnappleBC's picture

@dennis1958 While I agree with many of the stated goals and would fight for them each individually, I will no longer rally under the broader banner of feminism. Like you, I feel that the anti-male contingent of feminism has gone way, WAY too far.

Of course, I might say the same of pretty much any banner nowadays. They are all so easily coopted and misinformation is the rule of the day. So I tend to align behind issues rather than causes.

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A lot of wanderers in the U.S. political desert recognize that all the duopoly has to offer is a choice of mirages. Come, let us trudge towards empty expanse of sand #1, littered with the bleached bones of Deaniacs and Hope and Changers.
-- lotlizard

@SnappleBC I haven't been completely alone in my concerns about feminism. Though it has at times seemed as though I slapped Jesus, punched Allah and kicked Santa in the balls.
Sure hope my Gender Peace movement idea picks up before we go extinct.

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With their hearts they turned to each others heart for refuge
In troubled years that came before the deluge
*Jackson Browne, 1974, Before the Deluge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SX-HFcSIoU

@dennis1958
in the same box. I consider myself a feminist and the daughter of a feminist but got suspended at TOP when I tried to tell some female posters that seeing sexism behind every bush is harming the cause. I feel the same way about race - if you expect to see racism, you are going to see it everywhere you go - even when it is not there.

Feminism should NOT about power and control - it should be about equality. You don't pull sexism out of your ass to beat people down into submission. And that is the kind of stuff I see that I believe is hurting the cause of equality.

Are your objections the same as mine? But I still believe in equality, and that we aren't there yet. We aren't ready to eliminate feminism but I sure would like to reform a few self-proclaimed feminists.

fwiw I really detest any form of using weakness as a strength to bludgeon others with.

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@gustogirl @gustogirl I hold you in high regard based on the thoughts you've shared here and at TOP.
Your point is well taken about 'anti-feminist'. It's factually the wrong wording. I'll change the 2 instances of 'anti-feminist' in the posts to read anti-feminism. Glad you called me on this. My poor wording muddles the intent. Thank you.

Our objections are indeed very much the same. You wrote the following words but they also mirror my thoughts

Feminism should NOT about power and control - it should be about equality. You don't pull sexism out of your ass to beat people down into submission. And that is the kind of stuff I see that I believe is hurting the cause of equality.

In your last sentence of that quote you explain why I became anti-feminism.
Hurting egalitarian progress in society is not something I can support. Rather I must/needs oppose such things.

I was content to advocate for equal rights for women even though I could not identify as a feminist, due to the anti-male screed being pushed so strongly beginning in the 60's. My formative years. I figured, okay, men are gonna get beat up a bit for awhile, but for the greater good, we can take it. We're tough. It's been like 50 years now.
I remain fully in support of equal legal rights for all people. Gender, race, whatever. If you're a human, you should have the same rights as every other human. I have no gray areas in this. It's very clearly black and white to me.
You don't have to be a feminist to hold these views. I've never been a feminist.
Equal outcomes are an entirely different matter however. My thoughts are less certain. It's a subject I think we should talk about. For Gender Peace. We can work something out about outcomes. If we can talk (men and women). But that's for another day.

Quite honestly Gusotgirl, I think you may be on your way to becoming anti-feminism too.
It's not such a large leap.
Ask yourself a couple questions.
What legal right does a man have that a woman does not? (this is a sincere question. I just can't think of one and I wonder if I'm missing something.)
Does feminism mean equal rights or equal outcomes to your mind?
Does the propagation of the myths of the wage gap and the rape culture serve any equality discussion?
Has the anti-maleness message in feminism, the dismissiveness of men's issues and voices and the actual criminalization of how men sit furthered 'equality' in any way whatsoever?
Does current day feminism mean what the dictionary says feminism means anymore, gustogirl? Has it become more destructive than useful?
Is it providing more egalitarian progress, than righteous cannon fodder for the right.

Are fatherless single mother households really what we think is best for our children?
Men would like to be heard bout stuff too ya know.

Look at the political map. The blue team isn't doing so well. Does feminism, as practiced in this day, have any responsibility for that map?

I'm not anti-feminist, I'm anti-feminism. Feminist are people who look in the dictionary and see it says equal rights for men and women. And they say cool, I'm all in on that.
Feminism as practiced seems to be about something entirely different doesn't it?
It looks that way to me. How does it look to you gustogirl?

In any case, I'm for Gender Peace. We need a Gender Peace movement.
A movement that says hey you, we love you ya know. Lets sit and have a real talk and work things out so we can all be happier than we have been lately.
Seems to me we need this movement WAY more than we need feminism at the moment.
We can bring back bellbottoms and halter tops, black light posters and peace signs, and love.
Gender Peace! When do we want it? NOW !

Gender Peace, Gender Peace
No peace, no nookie
for no one!

I'm collecting chants and sign ideas if anyone wants to offer.
Peace, love, joy all!

Crap forgot the video. I'm gonna repost it apart from the link above.
When these two say this has got to stop. And why it has to stop. We should perhaps hear them out. Their insights into the history and results of feminism should be considered. If you love to understand your world better, this video may prove useful and enlightening.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv7LvRhvgNI width:420 height:315]

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With their hearts they turned to each others heart for refuge
In troubled years that came before the deluge
*Jackson Browne, 1974, Before the Deluge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SX-HFcSIoU

@dennis1958
I have seen the damage self-proclaimed "feminists" have wrought upon men here and there. I'm guessing you are one of their victims.

Look, I get it. Men's rights have been trampled in terms of child custody and other things. As a woman who has had more than one abortion, I remember the call of one father and thought his voice should be attended to, but he was not willing nor able to finance or raise that child on his own (and neither was I). Had he been willing or able should I have been required to undergo the physical stress of producing a child just to satisfy his yearnings?

These are very difficult questions, and I fully recognize that male rights have been ignored a bit in the process.

But these truths remain: most single mothers are not getting support from the fathers.

Women are still making far less than men in any job.

Let's somehow set that right, so that the children being raised by single mothers are not being shortchanged. Because an awful lot about the feminist movement from the women who are truly feminists, really has to do with the kids.

Semantics - feminism, feminists - not relevant. But you are invited by the most liberal person I know (myself) to adopt the O'Reilly / Hannity expression "Femnazi", because I recognize them for what they are. Google the word. We saw them in abundance at TOP.

I won't become anti-feminist. There is still a lot of inequality. I was raped at the age of 14 when it was still important to be a virgin when you married. That experience scarred me, and I have not been able to enjoy the sexual life nature wanted to provide to me as a result. Men wonder how women can be frigid. Men can be predatory or they can be loving. Unfortunately, the loving men in my life have had to pay, to some degree, for their predatory brothers.

So don't answer these angry, vituperative women with anger. Just walk past them and let them work it out on their own because that is not your job. Find a woman you can be a friend with, with whom there is no power struggle.

Because despite all this feminist/anti-feminist/feminazi discussion I look at my life and the lives of my friends and realize that the unhappy ones are in a power struggle that would have happened whether feminism was a word or not, and the happy ones do not vie for power but form partnerships.

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@gustogirl @gustogirl on these topics. Thank you again gustogirl!
I admit I was somewhat disheartened to see you begin your post with what has become a standard of feminism, the dismissal of the 'butt hurt (and therefore misogynist) male'. I feel certain you didn't mean it that way. It's just baked into feminism these days. I'm not upset about it, I just think it's important to point it out when it happens.
I'd also like to thank you for acknowledging that men have issues that are often ignored or shunted aside. Acknowledging realities is a good way to have a conversation about realities.

Abortion, what a painful subject. My personal feelings are that until fetal viability, her body her choice. I don't see how men can have a say in this. Women have to decide this issue. If women voted to end abortion on demand I'd be ok with that too.
I will say that it twists my brain that an accident involving a woman on the way to have an abortion, resulting in miscarriage, can lead to some form of homicide charges against the person responsible for the accident.

You say that 'these truths remain' but they are not truths!
The wage gap has been debunked since what, the 70's. Long ago in any case. It's not legal to pay women less than men for the same job. JFK signed the equal pay act way back when. Then Obama signed the Ledbetter act which restated that it's not legal to pay women less than men. There is no wage gap. There's an earnings gap. This earnings gap is completely explained by the choices in career that men and women make.

It's not true that most women receive NO support for children from the fathers. About 25% of single mothers receive none of the ordered support from fathers. 74% receives at least some support and 48% receive the full support ordered. (these numbers do not include other forms of non-ordered support. School supplies, clothing etc.).
https://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p60-246.pdf
A discussion of why 25% receive no support and only 48% receive the full ordered support is indeed an issue for discussion. Starting from a factually incorrect position does not lend itself to real solutions.

The 'But the kids' argument I personally find laughable. If women really cared about their children they would insist on full joint custody or give custody to the fathers. Far less children of single father and joint custody households live in poverty compared to single mother households.
If feminism wants to change society they damn well should be held accountable for the results of that change.

All rape, non-consensual sexual assault, is traumatizing. Men know this. It's why its illegal. Men don't wonder why a woman is frigid if she's been assaulted against her will.
Rape is a terrible thing. I will not try to minimize that point.
I would like to point out though that the statistics on rape pushed by current day feminism are.. well, whacko. No, 1 in 3 will not be raped. No, 1 in 4 will not be raped. No, 1 in 5 will not be raped.
As far as I can tell a 1 in 53 number is about rationally accurate. It's too high but it's not 1 in 5. FBI stats can be confusing but 39.8 rapes per 100,000 people, isn't anywhere close to the 1 in 5 pushed by current day feminism. (See https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2013/crime-in-the-u.s.-2013/violent... and https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2013/crime-in-the-u.s.-2013/tables/... for insight into the rape statistics).

I've never used the term femi-nazi. I can't see that I ever will. It's hyperbole that serves no purpose. I know you meant no harm and no harm taken, but can you see how giving me permission to use a word tickles my funny bone?

I think there's still a chance for you to become anti-feminism. You appear to certainly be a Gender Peace'r already. Nice to have you on board. It's been kinda lonely over here in the Gender Peace area.

I sure hope I haven't offended you somehow here. I soo appreciate the opportunity to have honest rational discussions on these issues.
Thank you Gusotgirl.

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With their hearts they turned to each others heart for refuge
In troubled years that came before the deluge
*Jackson Browne, 1974, Before the Deluge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SX-HFcSIoU

@dennis1958
I recently learned that the man replacing my position (I left voluntarily and located my replacement) is making 20K more than I was making.

I don't believe the stats are proclaimed to be 1 in 5 raped, but 1 in 5 "sexually assaulted", which is not the same thing and very subjective IMO.

Shared custody is a good thing if the two parents have some idea as to how to be civil with one another and put their own bitterness aside for the sake of the child. Unfortunately, that is not often the case. I would love to see court-ordered sessions for divorced parents with shared custody so they could LEARN how to act like reasonable human beings. Hell, anyone could take a class in not putting themselves first in general any day of the week.

I want to hear your story, Dennis. I can hear a bit of seething in the background and I'd like to understand it if I could. But I understand if you don't want to go into it...

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@gustogirl Many women over the course of my career made significantly more than I did. That doesn't mean there's a pay gap favoring women.

1 in 5 is indeed the current feminism cry!
Considering the definition of rape includes 'alcohol facilitated' and 'psychological coercion' I'm surprised EVERY woman doesn't cry rape.
Have ANY women never heard 'Com'on baby, You know I love you' before they consented to sex. There's a joke on the right. It goes something like. 'Sure I consented at first, but I said no between the 5th and 6th thrusts and he didn't stop fast enough! That bastard, he needs to be in jail!' Feminism rape. Reality based rape. Considering men's actual testicles are at risk here, I don't think a bit of sanity on the rape issue is too much to ask for.

About your paragraph on shared custody. Quite honestly, I think if you changed 'the two parents' to read 'women' AND changed 'divorced parents' to read 'divorced women' you'd be closer to the truth of the matter. Women initiate divorce. Women are the victims (everyone knows that). Have you ever heard a mother refer to her son's ex-wife as a bitter vindictive bitch? Hope you corrected her on that.

You want to hear my story gustogirl. Quite honestly, it's at least somewhat entertaining, even if I do say so myself. One day perhaps I'll tell you why I'm unique in Minnesota history, tawdry and shocking though it be. No, I'm not adverse to sharing my story. I'm just not interested in claiming victimhood, nor having my thoughts and opinions dismissed because I'm a 'Poor dear'. The poor dear, no wonder he says those things.
If we can ascribe others thoughts and actions due to their victimhood, then we can easily dismiss them with a 'yeah but'. Yeah, that's all terrible, you poor dear, but it'll get better, once you get help.
I like you gusto. I'd kinda like you to stop doing that to me.

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With their hearts they turned to each others heart for refuge
In troubled years that came before the deluge
*Jackson Browne, 1974, Before the Deluge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SX-HFcSIoU

@gustogirl

If I may butt in, the problem does not seem to be with feminism, but with those going overboard/using the concept for other and negative purposes, which is something found in the fringes of virtually all such groups.

So, speaking for myself, I'd say that I'm anti-fanatics and anti-power-players, but never anti-feminism/feminists, because feminism is about equality and misusing the term - as do fanatics and power-players - tarnishes an essential concept with an artificial and counterproductive stain.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

@Ellen North
I think we are on the same page!

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@dennis1958

Just to mention, that's not feminism. That's a victim-hood Clinton campaign strategy, lol.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

@Ellen North Sure looks to me that the answer is YES or DUH.

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With their hearts they turned to each others heart for refuge
In troubled years that came before the deluge
*Jackson Browne, 1974, Before the Deluge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SX-HFcSIoU

gulfgal98's picture

several times over the years and I continue to go further and further toward the deepest corner of the green square. The score that has changed most radically over the years is the Economic one. It has really changed as a result of my becoming more educated about our economic system and its destructiveness of societies and the environment.

I have always questioned authority dating back to grade school when I led a lunchroom strike. My social score has gotten only slightly more toward the corner.

Who says we get more conservative as we grow older? Apparently not me, or maybe I am just aging backwards and do not know it yet. Nope the wrinkles are still there. LOL

Economic left/right -9.5
Social libertarian/authoritarian -8.26

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Not Henry Kissinger's picture

@gulfgal98

What happened? They take away your Twinkies?

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The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?

PriceRip's picture

@Not Henry Kissinger

          Long story, short ending. At the appointed hour I held back as my classmates walked along the phalanxes of faculty and "Cactus Jack", stationed near the end of the hall, that was supposed to guide everyone into the gymnasium.

          As the way cleared, I walked toward "Cactus Jack" and pushing him out of my way, hit the crash bar, exited the building, and illegally removed myself from campus that fine sunny day.

          While many of my colleagues (both faculty and students) supported my protest, none dared join me, nor speak out publicly. Like I noted above: Long story and "Cactus Jack" and I seldom saw eye-to-eye on anything. In fact, I think he was rather glad to see me graduate.

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Not Henry Kissinger's picture

@PriceRip

"Cactus Jack" and I seldom saw eye-to-eye on anything.

You had a prickly relationship with Cactus Jack?

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The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?

PriceRip's picture

@Not Henry Kissinger

Good

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@Not Henry Kissinger

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gulfgal98's picture

@Not Henry Kissinger @Not Henry Kissinger My best friend and I decided to organize a one week lunchroom strike because we did not like the lunches they were serving. We never thought of it as being radical or anything. We just wanted to make our voices heard. Back then, school administrators were more forgiving. The principal called us into her office and very patiently told us that the lunch room strike would hurt the employees. She appealed to our better angels and we called off the strike.

If my parents knew, they would have been furious though. They were pretty traditional and somewhat conservative. My mother always said that I marched to a very different drummer, and in my opinion, I was often out of step with my peers.

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Oldest Son Of A Sailor's picture

@gulfgal98 Every time I retake the test I move further downward and left towards the corner...
I believe my last test result is in my signature...

I believe that the progressives are floundering without finding a way to band together as a strong cohesive unit even though there is a substantial number of us in agreement. We have wandered trying to find a place to call home and most closely associated with the democRATic Party far longer than deserved falsely believing it could be reformed into a progressive party.

I do believe that we do in fact need a Charismatic Leader at least as a figurehead to pull us together to join around otherwise we will continue to flounder and join with the undeserving. The surprising fact is that on our fringe sides we will often find agreement of what is wrong from the far right fringes, we may not agree on the solution but we do agree that where we presently are stuck with the centrists, neoliberals and neocons is wrong. There might actually be room for intelligent discussion on quite a few issues that are more productive than a discussion with a turdway neoliberal clintonite...

I'd dearly love for a Progressive Party to form with a strong drive to buck the system as it stands...

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"Do you realize the responsibility I carry?
I'm the only person standing between Richard Nixon and the White House."

~John F. Kennedy~
Economic: -9.13, Social: -7.28,
gulfgal98's picture

@Oldest Son Of A Sailor I believe that this is very true based upon the conversations I had with self described conservatives during our Peace vigils. After seeing how Bernie was able to pull together a wide range of people during his campaign, I am more convinced than ever that we can find a lot of common ground with many on the right.

The surprising fact is that on our fringe sides we will often find agreement of what is wrong from the far right fringes, we may not agree on the solution but we do agree that where we presently are stuck with the centrists, neoliberals and neocons is wrong. There might actually be room for intelligent discussion on quite a few issues that are more productive than a discussion with a turdway neoliberal clintonite...

We do not have to agree on everything, but we need to find a critical mass that can agree on one or two of the most pressing issues and form alliances to create a strong movement.

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Oldest Son Of A Sailor's picture

@gulfgal98 @gulfgal98 What would come of a meeting of the fringes finding the issues that they agree on as important in needing a solution and what would come of it...

I recently spoke with an ultra conservative tea partier friend about the present situation and it was probably our best conversation in years. We agreed on too much of what is wrong...

When you agree something is wrong it becomes possible to discuss how to fix it...

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"Do you realize the responsibility I carry?
I'm the only person standing between Richard Nixon and the White House."

~John F. Kennedy~
Economic: -9.13, Social: -7.28,

@gulfgal98

trade agreements.

I believe there are more, but those are the starters that first come to mind.

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@Oldest Son Of A Sailor
is that when you cut down the leader, the movement falters or fails.

Read a fabulous book about leaderless organization called the Spider and the Starfish (or vice versa always forget). It pretty well explains how fighting Islamic terrorism is like whack-a-mole. How often do we hear that a "leader" was killed?

Really, under current and future conditions, we are going to have to be a lot more guerilla than we are used to, and that will require leaderless organization.

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@gustogirl

It makes some excellent points about the advantages of leaderless organizations, which the internet greatly enables. I'm still trying to think it out, because there are situations, i.e. a sailing ship, where hierarchies have an advantage.

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Beware the bullshit factories.

@gustogirl

Where everybody votes on the next relevant book to read, I think "The Spider And The Starfish" is extremely relevant, and we keep an open discussion about the books in an essay here.

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Beware the bullshit factories.

@gulfgal98 Will you share what you struck about?

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dfarrah

@gulfgal98

Hey, hey, whaddaya say,
Throw those Sloppy Joes away!

Please give us a break
From Salisbury Steak!

Wanna drive me to a ledge?
Tell me catsup is a veg!

1-2-3-4
Toss brown lettuce out the door!

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Then realized they're skewed to produce results desirable to their creators.
A few years ago my son and daughter (twins, and no, not identical!) were required to take one of those for HS Gov't class. I told them the results would be Libertarian. Not believing me they were surprised after taking it that I was right. Wanted to know how I knew. I told them anyone not left of Jesus or right of Hitler would fall as a Libertarian-- if they answer honestly.
I think you run into problems when to try to label. Too many nuances and exceptions in people's thoughts and actions that can be construed to prove the opposite of what is.
I agree with others upthread that Maher has gone a bit too far down the rabbit hole on several issues. He still occasionally offers a nugget that isn't pyrite.
Adding to the Amen Corner I submit Truthout. Quite a bit in there, though I am a bit put off by their Fox-esque writing style. I mean I do the same thing, but I'm not a professional.

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There is no such thing as TMI. It can always be held in reserve for extortion.

@ghotiphaze

The test is clearly manipulative, and biased to place people in the lower left quadrant. The way many of the questions are phrased makes it impossible for me to accurately answer them according to the only four options available.

IMO, "multiple choice" tests in general tend to be inherently manipulative.

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native

gulfgal98's picture

@native I also agree. I really do not think I am as far left as the test indicates.

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Do I hear the sound of guillotines being constructed?

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." ~ President John F. Kennedy

Alligator Ed's picture

@native You think that the lower left, green quadrant is the only way to answer these questions. No, this is why you are at c99, not at Red State. I know that if this test was mandated at DK by Napoleon, the obedient would wind up in the upper right.

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@Alligator Ed

a few years ago, very similar to this one, where dozens of Kossacks posted their scores. All of them were in the lower left quadrant, including mine.

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native

Alligator Ed's picture

@native of March decree. For those of you with strong stomachs and diminished olfaction willing to try, surreptitiously administer the test at GOS without mentioning this essay or test results.

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@Alligator Ed

It would still get the same results from Kos, even now. It was designed to get those results. The kind of thinking this test epitomizes is exactly the kind of categorization scheme that we need to reject, if we're ever going to get anywhere.

You will never get the right answers by asking the wrong questions, and this test is chock full of them.

For example, question #3 asks: "No one chooses his or her country of birth, so it is foolish to be proud of it".

The question itself puts the respondant in a double bind. To agree would be to deny the validity of one's national identification, loyalty, and pride thereof. In addition it would brand any concession to nationalism as "foolish". To disagree on the other hand, would force a resondant to opine that one's national origin is a matter of choice. Opinions are not being solicited in this test, they are being coerced, toward a predetermined end.

This kind of yes/no categorization underlies this entire, rather idiotic questionaire -- which is anything but illuminating. Unfortunately, it also underlies much of "liberal" America's current mindset. "With us or agin us" being the order of the day, we're left with little room for either nuance or tolerance.

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native

Alligator Ed's picture

@native The choices you present do not represent the full panoply of possible responses. For instance, the news of the past year has been marked by occasional acts of homegrown terror by native-born American jihadis and also native-born American jihadis joining ISIS. There are most likely other examples than I have mentioned which would be additional choices instead of the dichotomy of choices you present.

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@Alligator Ed

to disagree regarding the utility of this particular test.

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native

Alligator Ed's picture

@native to more accurately reflect the current situation. There are several considerations that could improve the Compass. As most are well aware, the way a question is presented definitely affects responses. Furthermore, the test could be improved by the addition of a fifth choice such as "don't know" or "alternate answer".

One more thing, which I mentioned before is that response bias is built-in here at c99. I doubt very much that a right-wing ideologue with a strong authoritarian streak would ever visit this site, let alone be honest enough to take this test. For instance, the responses for Cruz, Bush, Medusa, et al were not elicited directly from the culprits (term used purposefully) but abstracted from public statements.

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Bisbonian's picture

@Alligator Ed for your infotainment: https://www.littlethings.com/alligator-catching-some-waves/

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"I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.” —Malcolm X

Alligator Ed's picture

@Bisbonian Maybe that's what the Beach Boys were hunting when they went on their Surfing Safari.

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@native

I kinda thought these sorts of quizzes were for fun - what other purpose do they serve? Allowing people to express opinions, I suppose...

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

@native test selecting the opposite of what I answered originally, and I ended up the right upper quadrant.

I don't think the test questions/results are invalid just because a test-taker struggles with some questions. The test questions are coercive, but that is to serve the purpose of separating respondents out. And struggling with some questions likely doesn't affect the overall pattern of where respondents fall.

IMO, different respondents will not necessarily analyze questions similarly. You considered the question about national pride to be difficult and analyzed it as follows:

The question itself puts the respondant in a double bind. To agree would be to deny the validity of one's national identification, loyalty, and pride thereof. In addition it would brand any concession to nationalism as "foolish". To disagree on the other hand, would force a resondant to opine that one's national origin is a matter of choice. Opinions are not being solicited in this test, they are being coerced, toward a predetermined end

That question was no problem for me. I strongly agreed with the statement because I don't agree with prideful-ness. IMO, prideful-ness leads to much human folly.

So, we looked at that question very differently.

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dfarrah

Shahryar's picture

@native

that time I punched Howard Dean in the snoot....perhaps I exaggerate but...

wavy lines as we go back in time...add a little spacey music....ok, landing in 2007.

The Democrats control the House and the Senate but Pelosi has taken impeachment "off the table". The Democrats are "keeping their powder dry". Polls at dKos show that Pelosi's job performance rating, among dKos people, is at 11%, Harry Reid's at 9%.

Howard Dean comes to Portland for a Democratic Party talk. At that point I was a Precinct Person, which means I was a full fledged Member! of the Party. My main responsibility was contacting Dems in my area, making sure they voted. Blah blah blah. So I had an invite to Dean's appearance and shaz and I went to...where was it, shaz? a hotel? They had a nice spread of food and I knew a bunch of people so it wasn't too uncomfortable being there. 'Cause at the time I was into it, right?

Dean gave his talk, saying we had "three great candidates", meaning Obama, Hills and Edwards. After he finished he was just hanging out. I give him credit for that. I remember a different occasion when Al Gore gave a little talk and promptly vamoosed. No chatting with the little people for him. He was gone! But Dean stayed and chatted. I brought up those dKos polls. I told him "9%, 11%. What do I tell those people?" I meant "how do we get through to the Dems in charge that they needed to fight the Bushies?" He told me (and this is a quote) "tell them to elect more Democrats". As the kids say, wtf?? We already had majorities. I told him that wasn't going to cut it and then I punched him in the snoot. Or perhaps I just told him that it wouldn't cut it. He stopped being super friendly at that point.

But I think back at how left dKos was then, united against Bush. And then, as we recall, Obama won and it was ok if you're a Democrat and the good people were run off while centrists moved in.

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@Shahryar

and then steamrollered by their betters.

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native

CB's picture

@Shahryar
Obama was handling things you were told to "shut the fuck up". Obama was playing '11th dimensional chess' and us peons were simply not capable of understanding how Obama "gets things done" in Washington.
We were taken for suckers. Well, not all. The ones who didn't get suckered by the Bamboozler in Chief are now here.

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@CB

I had the idea Obama was one of the good guys, pretty much up until the very end. Hope dies hard sometimes. Obama's been an education, I'll say that much for him. Even now, I hesitate to blame Obama personally for his participation in the morass of political corruption he inherited, and over which he was obligated to preside. He was clearly not up to the task, in over his head, and in hindsight it has become apparent that his eloquent rhetoric outstripped his actual intentions by a long shot. But perhaps he did the best he was able to do, given his origins and opportunities. I hold no personal grudge against Obama the man, the human being. He could have done much better, but so could many of us. America being what America is, Obama's failure to transform it as many of us hoped he could, as many of us believed he would, is not IMO, the most grievous of presidential misdeeds. Obama's sins were sins of omission, rather than of commission.

I think maybe Obama's vanity and ambition got the better of him. Such a vain peacock of a man! Displaying his erudition, social grace, wit, and considerable charm at every opportunity. Obama was the liberal white man's ideal of the perfect black man, and he knew it full well. Half black that is, the perfect political proportion. Ah Barack, they set you up and played you, and you played along, to get to where you wanted to be. Stay within the lines they said, and we'll ride you to the top. And so they did, for as long as they could. With Obama enjoying every minute of the ride. Handing the bank stuff to Rubin and Geitner, handing MENA to Bob Gates, turning the State Department over to Hillary... wow this is one black boy who knows how to delegate! Or play 11-dimensional chess maybe? Whatever. No major upsets anyway, Barack remaining as cool and hip and black and eloquent and subservient as ever.

Meanwhile the Deplorables are all having conniption fits about abortion and whatnot, and getting their houses and pick up trucks repossessed, and college grads are either waiting tables at Starbucks or pole dancing at strip clubs, and nobody's paying much attention to any of that, least of all the Obama/Clinton Royals and their court.

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native

@native

He was bought by Citigroup way back in 2001. Check Podesta on his 2008 cabinet, for example. Name to use is "Froman".

Went from a loser who couldn't retire campaign debts to a Chicago star!

Please. " Over my Head" was a tune by Fleetwood Mac. Does not fit Obama at all.

Also. As to his supposed way with the language- man can not use the objective case correctly.

"The Sultan gave a bag of gold to Michelle and I."

Speak English,you nitwit!

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Alligator Ed's picture

@irishking O'bummer is a pretty boy, charming, mostly eloquent but mostly Over His Head

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3HIM0z0w9Y]

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@Alligator Ed

love the song. Christine!

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CB's picture

@native
I bought and read "The Audacity of Hope" and my heart sank. One just needed to read between the lines a bit. There was a lot in that book that pointed to how he would govern if elected. I since gave away the book but still remember several passages that disturbed me. One about modernizing the military and improving its "over the horizon force projection" and another that (paraphrasing) the World Bank, IMF and WTO are at their core good institutions that just need a little tweeking to improve.
Before reading this book I backed Obama almost 100%. After reading it, I warned my partner that Obama is not the man we think he is and don't be surprised if everything goes south under his presidency once he is in the catbird seat.

But John Pilger had Obama pegged from day one. The following is worth watching with the benefit of our hindsight. The original talk was given July 4, 2009.

Here's the transcript for the video.

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@CB

I obviously was not.

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native

mimi's picture

@CB
it's interesting that the spoken word says more than is in the transcript.
I regret often and don't remember anymore when 'the disappoitment over Obama' got into my conscience, but I believe it was six to eight months after his inauguration and it creeped in silently and I didn't want for it to be true.

We had only one correspondent in our news studio, who 'got' Obama right and we didn't understand, why.

She had just the right amount of guts feelings in the very beginning looking also in his earlier Senator and even Chicago years. Later on she had enough information to claim her case. And she was not a lefty. I think just someone with a lot of experience in the human condition.

It's sad that I forget so many things now. Memory ain't my strong side.

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@CB

I started with the video but am even more grateful for the transcript. Thanks!

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

mimi's picture

@native
what helped me was listening to what Harry Belafonte said. Look at this at the moment of feeling elated about Obama's victory.

Belafonte at the night of Obama's inauguration

and then what he said in January 2011.

Harry Belafonte on Obama: "He Plays the Game that He Plays Because He Sees No Threat from Evidencing Concerns for the Poor"

And I remember this, described in this book:
The Case Against Barack Obama
, ie Harry Belafonte being invited to the Church Wrigth preached in saying clearly Condoleezzaa Rice and Colin Powell being the "house slaves" of the Bush administration. That's not what a coward person would say. Belafonte talked some 'tacheles' there.

I also still found this little tidbit from the Democratic Underground in which Obama asks Belafonte why he wouldn't cut him (Obama) some slack and Belafonte responded: "What makes you think we haven't done that?"

Harry Belafonte Explodes the Presidential "Make Me Do It" Myth
A Black Agenda Radio commentary by BAR managing editor Bruce A. Dixon
May 17, 2011

There is a popular myth which explains President Barack Obama's reluctance to stand up to Pentagon militarists, Wall Street banksters and corporate greedheads. This myth excuses the president for ignoring massive black unemployment and not providing his promised path to citizenship for the undocumented, for not using presidential authority to halt the foreclosure epidemic, or curbing the hyper-incarceration of black and brown youth. The myth of course, is that President Barack Obama really does want to do all these things and more, but if they haven't happened it's because we the people have abandoned our responsibility to somehow “make him do it.”

Applied to the Obama presidency however, “make me do it” is a popular myth. It's popular because the president and his lackeys repeat it endlessly. It's a myth because it's not true. Longtime activist Harry Belafonte, who played a key role in the Freedom Movement of the fifties and sixties, exploded the myth in a Democracy Now interview broadcast on May 16.

Belafonte was asked by host Amy Goodman whether he'd used his occasional access to directly share his many critical and valuable public policy insights with the White House. Belafonte replied that his only access to the president has been for a few seconds at a time, not long enough for any substantive discussion. But, he said, at one such event President Obama approached him to inquire when Belafonte and Cornel West were going “to cut me some slack.”

“What makes you think we haven't?” Belafonte replied to the president? At this point the brief encounter was over.

It was just unfortunate that one couldn't be critical of Obama without being attacked of having racist prejudices as a white person. You had to be a Belafonte to try to do that and even that was cut off.

The hatred of black Obama supporters towards of Cornel West were just not logic and surprized me a lot. The fact that you always had to assume that real racists were out 'to get' Obama and this was often confirmed by many Afro-Americans (who you have to take serious in their judgments) made it very difficult for the average little (mostly white) people around to voice well meant criticism of Obama.

I guess it's human. We don't want to be accused of racism. But then this accusation is used as a tool of maniluation and a means of cover up, that's when it's not right or valid anymore. I felt more offended by the so-called charming words of Obama which to me were strangely lax and also revealing.

One just can't say: "We tortured some folks" as a President of the United States and especially not, if you are a professional human and civil rights lawyer. He totally lost me there. Totally.

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@ghotiphaze I haven't given up on Truthout either.

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"The justness of individual land right is not justifiable to those to whom the land by right of first claim collectively belonged"

mimi's picture

test results. The questions are very obvious and leading and it's easy to fake the test. Looks like we have to show off with our leftist, anti-authoritarian credentials.

Would you believe me that I am exactly at 0.00 / 0.00 ? Wink

So do my test results go into the NSA/CIA files for future profiling? Awwww, darn it I am not anti-authoritarian enough. I knew it. Stupid is as stupid does.

Economic Left/Right: -6.0
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.87

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mimi's picture

@mimi
and now I advanced into Thatcher territory.
Your Political Compass

Economic Left/Right: 5.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 5.28

That's the magic of science, friends. Wink

Being the Iron Lady that I am, how about having some fun. I donate an extra 20 bucks to JtC, if someone manages to come within the margin of error of 5 percent to
Economic Left/Right: 0.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarina: 0.00
and explains us what exactly he/she has answered.

I am serious!!!

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@mimi

That would be a real challenge.

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native

Oldest Son Of A Sailor's picture

@mimi I retook the test without reading a single question alternating agree and disagree on the answers and came close...
With one possible switchup between one of the pages... Not sure wasn't going back...
With a little forethought I'm sure that 0 0 could be reached or within your margin of error..

Here's what I got for a score doing that...

Screen Shot 2017-02-11 at 4.36.24 PM.png

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"Do you realize the responsibility I carry?
I'm the only person standing between Richard Nixon and the White House."

~John F. Kennedy~
Economic: -9.13, Social: -7.28,
mimi's picture

@Oldest Son Of A Sailor
Preved
heh, I think the test is 'dämlich (dimwitted)' . If you read the questions, you know how to answer to get to the very bottom and the very left corner of the III quadrant, or how to answer to get into the very right and very top corner of the II quadrant. May be I am just dämlicher (more dimwitted) as the rest of you. Smile

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@mimi

But who cares about where they place on a graph for their personal opinions? Apart from sleeper trolls in disguise, of course?

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

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@mimi

Lol, the far lefties are ones likely to have '...test results go(ing) into the NSA/CIA files for future profiling...' Something that occurred to me the moment I read the OP. But I expect that we're all on some list or another for even just internet commenting and petition-signing and are all recorded and tracked anyway.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

CB's picture

Your Political Compass
Economic Left/Right: -7.63
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.1

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Not Henry Kissinger's picture

Economic Left/Right: -6.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.15

Although compared to the numbers of a lot of others here, I'm practically a Reaganite.

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The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?

Strife Delivery's picture

@Not Henry Kissinger Ha gave me a good chuckle there.

I don't know, you're not too far off from myself here
Economic Left/Right: -7.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.44

But hey, you're not Kissinger, so don't think anyone will have a problem with you Blum 3

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Azazello's picture

I don't need no stinkin' test. I want Single-payer Healthcare and No More Wars. You can see why head-up-their-ass Democrats don't like me.

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We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

Muddy Boots's picture

Economic Left/Right: -7.13
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.54

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"If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back" - Regina Brett

edg's picture

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Alligator Ed's picture

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riverlover's picture

@edg I have only seen ones who ate marshmallows.

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Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.

sojourns's picture

I like to take in BBC World Services. It's too bad that Al Jazeera couldn't make it in the States. Donald Dry Hump would have probably deported them by now. Sadly, NPR, particularly, "All Things Considered" has been in the toilet for so long they are irredeemable and should be regulated by the EPA; though they still have "Science Friday" and a few other shows such as "Radio Lab" and of course, TED.

My scores: Economic Left/Right: -8.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.62

So. I should probably move.

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"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."
John Cage

CB's picture

@sojourns
the destruction of Libya and Syria. Qatar, the state owners of Al Jazeera, was one the main funders and suppliers of weapons to Libya and then to Syria in order to inflame he situation and turn the protests into violent confrontations against the governments. This a widely used method to affect regime change. Al Jazeera downplayed and hid outside arming and financing of the jihadists and focused on negative reporting of the leaders of those countries. They have now focused on 'bad' Russia.

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sojourns's picture

@CB I missed all of that. That is too bad. I wonder how much U.S. State Dept. influence was asserted? Nonetheless, the American Al Jazeera did at times, provide a higher level of journalistic objectivity than it's American made counterpoints.

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"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."
John Cage

CB's picture

@sojourns
In the following WikiLeak cable, we can see how the USG is manipulating Al Jazeera's programming. Chase Untermeyer was United States ambassador to Qatar in the George W. Bush administration. One of his previous positions was Director of the Voice of America from 1991-1993. Good propaganda man.

I posted about this in DKos many years ago during the run-up to the Libya war. It mostly fell on deaf ears. Everyone including Hillary (Clinton Lauds Virtues Of Al Jazeera: 'It's Real News') was gaga on Al Jazeera at the time. Now you know why.

PAO MEETING WITH AL JAZEERA MANAGING DIRECTOR

TAGS:
ALJAZEERA
KPAO - Public Affairs Office
PREL - Political Affairs--External Political Relations
QA - Qatar

B. THORNE-NANTONGO 10/18 EMAIL EXCHANGE
Classified By: Ambassador Chase Untermeyer, Reasons 1.4 (b&d)

1. (C) Summary: PAO met 10/19 with Al Jazeera Managing Director Wadah Khanfar to discuss the latest DIA report on Al Jazeera and disturbing Al Jazeera website content. Khanfar is preparing a written response to the DIA points from July, August and September which should be available during the coming week. Khanfar said the most recent website piece of concern to the USG has been toned down and that he would have it removed over the subsequent two or three days. End summary.

[CB note: here we see the agreement between the USG and Al Jazeera was to be "non-paper" ie hidden and not traceable]

4. (C) Having had an opportunity to review the July and August reports, Khanfar said he had several observations to make. On a semantic level, he objected to the use of the word "agreement" as used in the August report on the first page, under the heading "Violence in Iraq", where a sentence reads: "In violation of the station's agreement several months ago with US officials etc". "The agreement was that it was a non-paper," said Khanfar. "As a news organization, we cannot sign agreements of this nature, and to have it here like this in writing is of concern to us."

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sojourns's picture

@CB @CB
snippet - "the run-up to the Libya war." During that time, I was very much swayed and caught up as to what had been described by so many as the "Arab Spring". I surely did not see the U.S. State Department as running interference. Silly me and my fatal optimism. I still believed that Obama was as straight up as a president might be. Just how much latitude Obama had given Clinton over the affairs of the Middle East; I was caught unawares.

If I remember correctly, the Syrian north/south divide came about the beginnings of the civil war in 2011. At first, there was supposed to be a peaceable split of Syria. It's a bit fuzzy now and I can't really find anything supporting my memory or misremembering of that.

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"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."
John Cage

CB's picture

@sojourns
They were violent insurrections, funded and armed by outside forces, calculated and engineered to effect regime change. Inciting internecine hostilities as been a tried and true method to control third world nations since the beginning of empires - divide and conquer.

If you really want to understand what is going on in Syria you should view the following video by The US Peace Council

The US Peace Council is a multi-racial, pro-working class, anti-imperialist organization committed to peace, economic and social justice and to international solidarity with the peoples of the world. The U.S. Peace Council was founded in 1979 in the major Cities. It is affiliated with the World Peace Council, the world’s largest peace organization and an NGO member of the United Nations.

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@CB

As does RT, as does the Guardian, as does Spiegel, as does CNN, Fox, WaPo, etc etc. We need to stop thinking of any news outlet as being consistently definitive, authoritative, and unbiased. Very few (if any) of them are. The information age imposes new rules on discriminating consumers of these products. It's just like Smokey Robinson says -- You better shop around. [video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg-YQYhdmto]

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native

@native "Everybody lies". And Michael Crichton points out, "Everyone has an agenda".

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There is no such thing as TMI. It can always be held in reserve for extortion.

CB's picture

@native

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@CB

We the People are left with the task of trying to determine for ourselves, how much of "the news" is misleading, how much is total bullshit, and how much is accurate. A commonality of perspective has been clearly lacking. IMO msm "news" has dropped the ball in this regard, having fumbled on the 20 yard line. Beholden to its sponsors and owners, msm has relegated itself to the role of advocate for, and promoter of the established Powers That Be -- inlcuding the MIC of course, which is all too real. The msm has been bought out in other words. Aong with much else of America's identity. Sold for the price of cheap Chinese sneakers, and billed to Blackwater & subsidiaries.

It has taken many decades for corporate media conglomerates to achieve something approaching full control over the nation's air waves. Which had previously served as our national central nervous system. Now at the Borg's moment of greatest glory -- full spectrum dominance allied with the State -- arrive these various versions of alternative media. Alternative realities in fact, out of both Right and Left fields as it were. Conspiracy theories galore, like gnats, like mosquitos, like airborne virii, these counter-narratives have spread virally, been proven to be impossible to eradicate, and increasingly difficult to ignore. The very substance and meaning and purpose of the USA is being called into question at this time, yet msm news continues to focus strictly on US-centric concerns, as if these were unrelated to the world at large. Perpetuating the myth that the USA is somehow other than, and superior to every other nation on earth.

Too bad for over-paid talking heads of the Walter Cronkite model. Their audience is no longer a monolithic block for which they can presume to speak. Gone are the days when Wolf Blitzer or Rachel Maddow or Bill O'Reily or any of the current TV opinionaters might have been widely considered as authoritative, or even credible, like Cronkite once was.

We are a fractured nation, and the msm refuses to acknowledge it. Our established media (aka the nation's central nervous system) declines to address the fundamental causes of our national dysfunction, or to even examine what these causes might be. Instead they seem content to simply entertain us. To keep us preoccupied and amused. To distract and bother and confuse and entice us, as if network tv actually represented the reality of ordinary people's lives. Which it very clearly does not.

To what degree Americans are still living "in the box" of their tv screens, I do not know. Still quite a lot I imagine. But certainly much less than ever before. It seems to me that any centralized model of information distribution is bound to fail over the long term. It just ain't in the nature of this beast we have invented, known as the www.

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native

CB's picture

@sojourns

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Socialprogressive's picture

I took this test about a year ago. I'm still close to the center of the lower left quadrant
Economic l/r: -4.0
Social lib/auth: -4.97

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When I offer to wash your back in the shower, all you have to say is yes or no.
Not all this "who are you, and how did you get in here?" nonsense.

orlbucfan's picture

**Economic: -7.5
**Social Libertarian, etc.: -5.95
**Color Chart Position: green corner, bottom left
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I find this stuff fun. Rec'd!!

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Inner and Outer Space: the Final Frontiers.

mhagle's picture

Your Political Compass

Economic Left/Right: -8.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.69

That was fun.

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

joe shikspack's picture

-9.25
-9.18

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