Reply #47: I swear ... only in the USofA

[iverglas]

Do you agree with the statement because you think taxes are theft, or do you agree with the statement because you don't want to see potential bias funded? If the first, you're likely to lean towards the right economically, and if the second, you're more likely to lean to the left.

The idea that someone on the left would object to public broadcasting ... only in 'Murika, I say.

Of course, I suspect thee and me are not agreeing on what "left" means, and that I'm the one operating in the real world.

Do you disagree because you believe that public airwaves are just that, public, and should be funded so, or do you disagree because you want those opinions that most agree with you to be the ones receiving funding? If the first, you're more social libertarian, while the latter is authoritarian.

I'm dreadfully sorry, but here you are still simply making no sense. Is there really someone in the world -- our world, this world, this decade -- who believes that the entire broadcasting spectrum should be occupied by wholly tax-funded programming -- in this world, in this decade? or that whatever portion of that element is not so occupied should be left vacant?

Are there really right-wingers who would disagree with that statement because they want the collected bedtime stories of Adolf Hitler broadcast at public expense?

Some people want it legalized for social reasons - "personal freedom to do what I want to myself". Others purely economic - "We would save tax dollars".

You think that an authoritarian would advocate legalizing a private behaviour that s/he thought others should not engage in because it would save tax dollars? I don't. So I think you're positing a virtually non-existent set.


Do YOU know anything about survey construction? Are you imagining that the questions in this thing have not been tested and re-tested and validated and re-validated?

But it's important to realise that this isn't a survey, and these aren't questions. They're propositions - an altogether different proposition. To question the logic of individual ones that irritate you is to miss the point. Some propositions are extreme, and some are more moderate. That's how we can show you whether you lean towards extremism or moderation on the Compass.

Some of the propositions are intentionally vague. Their purpose is to trigger buzzwords in the mind of the user, measuring feelings and prejudices rather than detailed opinions on policy.

Incidentally, our test is not another internet personality classification tool. The essence of our site is the model for political analysis. The test is simply a demonstration of it.

Not much more to say, really. Basically, I'm pretty convinced that you fancy yourself the leftist of us all and don't think the quiz gives you sufficient props -- or enables all us not really left at all poseurs to pat ourselves for how left we are. Oh well. You be an outlier, and be happy.