You are a Social Liberal (78% permissive) and an... Economic Conservative (80% permissive) You are best described as a: Libertarian
*The government should subsidize struggling museums, theaters, and artists.*
Absolutely not. Liberals often argue that civilization has always done this, which exposes this position for what it is: Classical conservatism. Let the people decide what they want to do with their own damn money.
*I am troubled by the eroding distinction between entertainment and marketing.*
Uh, why should I be?
*Protesters cause more good than harm.*
They
can cause harm, but dissent is a cornerstone of our Republic. I picked just plain Disagree.
*A person cannot be truly spiritual without regularly attending church or temple.*
As an atheist I'm not really qualified to comment, but I picked Strongly Disagree anyway. If I'm wrong and there's a Supreme Being who wants us in His churches, then making that assumption my answer would be much different. Again, not my area even if I'm a recovering Christian.
*Something like the theory of Natural Selection explains why some people are homeless.*
Went with Disagree here, though maybe I should have picked Strongly Disagree. Some of the homeless are insane obviously, some were unlucky, lost their jobs and got no help from the welfare state their taxes went into... Natural Selection has little or nothing to do with it.
*If countries like France are unwilling to cooperate with our military plans, we should treat them as enemies.*
"Only a Sith deals in absolutes." If a country
actively interferes with our military plans (ie, sends troops to Iraq) that's a different story, but France standing up for their oil interests in Iraq through political maneuvering and putting a "peace, love dope" disguise on it doesn't make them our enemy.
*I feel guilty when I shop at a large national chain.*
Not at all.
*Social justice should be the foundation of any economic system.*
I only went with plain Disagree here because while social justice is an important goal, an Agree answer seems to imply socialist beliefs. A free market will lead to social justice, but obviously economic liberals will beg to differ with me here.
*People shouldn't be allowed to have children they can't provide for.*
This is a gray area, but I picked Disagree. If parents can't provice for the children they have, they should be taken away, but preventing people from
having children is an entrance ramp to tyranny.
*I would defend my property with lethal force.*
Absolutely. Liberalism's supposed to be about social justice, then turns around and advocates throwing people in jail for shooting home invaders (
some liberals, not all; certainly not a rural Democrat).
*The world would be better if there were no huge corporations, just small businesses.*
Absolutely not. How much do you want to pay for goods and services? There's a reason color TVs, VCRs and DVD players have gotten so damn cheap, and it sure as hell isn't central planning or the government protecting small businesses.
*Professional athletes are paid too much money.*
No. They're paid what they can get their employers to pay them, not a penny more.
*Tradition is a reliable guide in deciding what's right.*
No way in hell. "So it was in the days of our fathers" my ass. Social conservatives and ecnomic liberals will both make this argument, and while we don't want to abandon what works in favor of what sounds good we shouldn't lie to ourselves that something works because we've always done it that way.
*When I'm talking to someone and I find out they've served in a war, I respect them more.*
Strongly agree. War is the most horrible thing humans practice. Sometimes it's absolutely neccesary, oftentimes it's not, but I'm grateful in the extreme that I didn't have to fight one. I have the utmost respect for the men and women who have endured horrors that can't be imagined if they aren't experienced, in defense of their country's interests.
*If I'm dating someone I like to know where they are and what they're up to at all times.*
As a shagless goobertarian I'm not really qualified to comment
, but posessiveness if stupid. A relationship should be based on trust, not mutual distrust.
*It bugs me when somebody names their child something like 'Sunshine' or 'Charm'.
Names change over time. I'm sure it drove the old timers nuts when people started naming their daughters "Wendy" after the Peter Pan character.
*Only literate people should be allowed to vote.*
Much as I look down on those who have no interest in learning how to freakin' read, Strongly Disagree. It's a representitive democracy, we all get to vote, for better or for worse.
*People raising children have a responsibility to live up to society's standards.*
Pretty vauge, but I picked Agree.
*The separation of church and state has demoralized our society.*
Load of crap. We don't need a state church to outlaw battery and rapine, which are the only things that would be illegal in a completely free society. (Battery covering murder, assault, etc. and rapine being any act of taking from others, be it rape [also an act of battery], theft, etc.)
*The 'Word of God' exists only as human beings interpret it.*
The vaguest question in the survey, but I picked Agree.
*Blind patriotism is a very bad thing.*
Strongly agree. While the left sometimes seems to follow a philosophy of, "F*** my country, right or wrong" taking off the first word is equally stupid. Again, dissent is a cornerstone of our Republic. Stand beside her... And
guide her.
*We need stronger laws protecting the environment.*
The existing enviromental laws just provide loopholes to polute public land. Public lands should be sold to individuals and corporations, and if a corporation or person next door polutes your land you should have recourse against them in court. Enviromental laws should be determined locally, not by the Beltway beaurocracy.
*I would feel better if there were video cameras on most street corners, to prevent crime.*
I'm not terribly concerned about video cameras in public, except insofar as they might erode our expectation of privacy. My real opinion here and biggest piece of flamebait: We should all just arm ourselves.
*It should be legal for two consenting adults to challenge each other to a duel and fight a Death Match.*
I think I answered Agree the last time I took this test. I changed to Disagree this time; I'm kind of torn on the issue of dueling, actually. ("Uh, dueling is an issue?!" I can hear a lot of you saying. Yep, I'm that far gone.
)
*Since parents can't be trusted to monitor what their children watch, TV content needs to be more regulated.*
Bullcrap. Funny how so-called conservatives take up Hillary's "It takes a village" position when it suits their ends. It takes a
family. Different parents have different values, and different things they're comfortable (or not comfortable) discussing with thier children if they see it on TV.
*If a company invents a pill that cures cancer, they should be allowed to charge whatever they want for it.*
This is a sticky issue, but in any health care system (complete free market, American socialism-lite, or socialized medicine) there's always going to be a level of healthcare that only the rich can afford. Right now, if a 70 year old dies of an incurable disease, we just accept it. If a cure is develpoed a year from now, a cure which out of simple neccesity or possible greed is extremely expensive, some people are still going to die, again in
any health care system. Heartless as it sounds, I had to pick Agree for this one.
*The fact that many people starve to death is unfortunate but unavoidable.*
I think I picked Disagree for this one; the
only welfare I'm in favor of is three bowls of gruel, a cot, a shower and a copy of the want ads. It would adversely affect our quality of life if people were dying in the streets.
*It bothers me that many American companies have moved jobs overseas.*
Today's my last day at work. I'm getting laid off, and while my job wasn't sent overseas a certain Cable internet provider decided to go with a cheaper domestic solution for outsourced tech support (and believe me, they SUCK
). That said, corporations are going to act in their interests, and protectionism
always destroys what it's supposed to protect. I know some of you are sick to death of hearing this cliche, but the market will correct itself.
*It's wrong when environmental regulation puts people out of work, like when limits on logging make it harder for loggers to log logs.*
Agreed, especially in the above example. We don't have a shortage of trees, and while I love animals, I don't put their interests above ours. I'm a devoted human supremecist.
*Most people are too stupid to know what's best for them.*
People are pretty damn stupid, but in a free society we all decide what's best for us, whether it's eating right and saving for retirement, or shooting smack in the gutter.
*A person has the right to claim the Holocaust never happened, if that's what he believes.*
Again, people are pretty damn stupid. They'll deny the Holocaut, (not equating any of this with Holocaust denial) believe in UFOs on the sketchiest of evidence, say that the earth was created in 4004 BC, or that the Soviets were the good guys in the Cold War... And in a free society, they have the right to say those things. The Germans with their outlawing of games where you
kill Nazis can go f*** themselves sideways, even if they make awesome cars.
I want a BMW. Wah.
*Books with potentially deadly knowledge (like instructions for making awesome bombs) should be regulated.*
Strongly Disagree. It's a free country, and we're all responsible for our own actions.
*Being poor and black is an advantage in getting into college.*
Disagree. There are
some advantages that I don't agree with (afirmative action and whatnot), but still a net disadvantage IMO.
*Eventually, a computer will write the best novel ever written.*
Disagree, but who can say for sure?
*I should be able to sell my vote for cash if I feel like it.*
Strongly Disagree. Despite my rantings about free markets, buying votes isn't a Republican form of goverment.
*America isn't as free as it thinks it is.*
Agree.
*Employees should have the right to go on strike without the risk of being permanently replaced.*
Barring a contract to the contrary, Strongly Disagree.
*I think the American government should subsidize our small farms.*
Hey, if my line of work becomes so efficient that we need a lot less of guys like me, can I get the taxpayers to defend my minority interest? No way.
*The life of one American is worth the lives of several foreigners.*
Time to sound hearless again, but Agreed. And other countries should feel that the reverse applies; our government should look after our interests, the French government should look out for the interests of French citizens.
*A society is only as successful as its least fortunate members.*
Bull****. Again, I don't want people dying in the streets, and I want the country to be overflowing with opportunity, but this phrase implies a call for cental planning IMO.
*Practical considerations aside, a person who doesn't use many government services should pay less in taxes.*
I answered Agree, and yet I think the next tax cut should be to eliminate taxes for the lower class. More on that some other time, I've already been at this an hour...
*I think everyone has a right to the basic material necessities of life.*
Yet again, I don't want people dying in the streets, so I played the bedwetting liberal for a change and answered Agree. I think a lot of fiscal liberals would have a more... well, liberal
perception of "basic material necessities of life" compared to me.
--T.J.
