Subject:
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Re: World's Smallest Political Quiz
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Tue, 17 Aug 2004 14:53:39 GMT
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Viewed:
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768 times
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"Scott A" <dr_scott_arthur@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:I2L399.1nDq@lugnet.com...
>
> There is an interesting critique of the quiz
> <http://world.std.com/~mhuben/rupright.html here>
The site you linked says "Did you discover you were a libertarian? As the
results show, the overwhelming majority of the 800,000+ people who have
taken the test at that site are. Even accounting for the fact that this is a
libertarian political site, so libertarians are more likely than others to
take this quiz, the results are still remarkable."
This is misleading.
The most current stats are:
3,197,615 people have taken the Quiz so far.
Libertarian 34.90 %
Left-liberal 18.90 %
Centrist 30.11 %
Right-Conservative 7.44 %
Statist 8.65 %
I know I'm more likely to ask conservative friends with Libertarian leanings
to take the quiz (which might account for the reason that there are a lot
more Libertarians than Right-Conservatives). Still, I wouldn't call the
Libertarian segment an "overwhelming majority".
This is not a scientific poll (if for no other reason than the sample being
non-random). Most scientific polls have a margin of error for +-3% - I'd
imagine that this one has a higher margin of error - quite possibly as high
as 5% which would easily account for the difference between Libertarian and
Centerist.
Also, I notice you post from the UK (I assume you are as well). Keep in
mind that this is a quiz largely intended for folks in the US. You may see
yourself as a right-conservative within your national or contientental
political spectrum while being somewhere else on the spectrum in a different
place.
In another post you said:
"I find it hard to see how a 'Right-Conservative' could be against free
speech or
voluntary military service?"
You need only look as far as fascists. They would appear in the "Right"
area, or just across the border with "Statist".
Later in the other post you said:
"I'd also love to see how taxes could be cut by 50%..."
I guess to understand you'd have to estimate that at least half of the money
we pay in taxes is wasted on needless bureaucracy. By eliminating the
Bureaucracy (or attempting to), it would not be hard to save a lot of tax
dollars.
In one prominent case, by allowing companies other than Halliburton (and
it's affiliates) to support US forces and assist in rebuilding Iraq. One
need not look far for other examples of government waste.
> Hmm. I suppose it is a matter of perspective. I enjoyed this perspective;
> "{Critics have long compared libertarianism with religion in the sense • that both
> are highly ideological and offer easy answers to complex questions. It • should
> not be surprising that both use the same techniques to draw members.}"
Critics often make silly comparisons. Many of the critics of Libertarianism
are socialists (and we have many glowing examples of how well their system
works).
For one, Libertarianism extols a belief in ones self and personal
responsibility for the wellbeing of society. The religions I am familiar
with typically encourage a belief in an imaginary man in the sky who
protects you from personal responsibility.
And with regards to the "easy answers to complex questions" part. As a
student in physics, I can say that more often than not, seemingly complex
phenomenon can often be explained (and predicted) by astoundingly simple
formulas. Not everything that seems complex actually is.
If we're being taxed too much (by our own estimation) and we see a lot of
government waste going on, and we suggest that the government should "stop
wasting our money" and take less from us - it seems ridiculous to balk and
say "That solution is too elegant!".
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: World's Smallest Political Quiz
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| (...) Please check the date on the site I cited. (...) Can the results be slanted by some sort of "bot"? (...) I'm sorry! Please don't invade my tiny country! ;) (...) I'm not sure 'Right-Conservative' = fascist ? (...) From the quiz: (...) (20 years ago, 17-Aug-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)
| | | Re: World's Smallest Political Quiz
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| (...) Yes, it's a plurality, not a majority, but the point is that if 34.9% of people are "Libertarian", then why is the Libertarian party so tiny and so one-dimensional (white, male, middle to upper-middle class)? (...) Truer words were never (...) (20 years ago, 17-Aug-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: World's Smallest Political Quiz
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| (...) There is an interesting critique of the quiz (URL) here> (...) Hmm. I suppose it is a matter of perspective. I enjoyed this perspective; "Critics have long compared libertarianism with religion in the sense that both are highly ideological and (...) (20 years ago, 17-Aug-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)
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