Are you right or left?

[Kirran]

I'm right-handed, but can scrawl with my left hand if needed.

So am I :O Am I a traitor to my side?

 

[Rival]

Thanks. I voted Laika. He's the only admitted communist I have talked to. And always nice.

Ironically, I am much closer to Stalin on the Political Compass than Laika is. I'm old school

 

[Rival]

So am I :O Am I a traitor to my side?

Yes; you deserve to be severely reprimanded.

 

[Kirran]

Yes; you deserve to be severely reprimanded.

Hmm, I'm curious as to where this is going.

 

[David1967]

Hmm, I'm curious as to where this is going.

It has taken a curious turn hasn't it.

 

[Rival]

Hmm, I'm curious as to where this is going.

Nowhere I was just making a joke lol.

 

[Sunstone]

It often amuses me these days to describe myself as a leftist, but I really don't give a damn about what's right or what's left. I care for whether a policy works in practice to improve the overall well being of people, not whether it is of any particular ideology. Sometimes the most workable and beneficial policies are associated with the right, sometimes with the left.

 

[Kirran]

It often amuses me these days to describe myself as a leftist, but I really don't give a damn about what's right or what's left. I care for whether a policy works in practice to improve the overall well being of people, not whether it is of any particular ideology.

I'm the same. But in practice everything I've come across that seems good is in the left.

I suppose I would be labelled as more right-wing in certain areas, given the things that are often associated with right-wing ideas, in particular my lack of slavish support for Palestine and my hope to engage critically certain ideologies which many leftists either condemn wholesale or refuse to scrutinise.

Although those aren't universally right-wing, and all my economic and social positions are leftist. As is my core view of society.

Phil, can you give an example of something you take a right-wing position on?

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

I think a more interesting sort of question is: Are you individualist or statist?

Or, are people mostly good or bad?

Or, do you like hierarchies, or would you rather have everyone be more or less equal and in charge only of themselves?

Or, what is it that is right for a government to do that is not right for an individual? And vice versa?

Or,...well, nevermind...

 

[sun rise]

It often amuses me these days to describe myself as a leftist, but I really don't give a damn about what's right or what's left. I care for whether a policy works in practice to improve the overall well being of people, not whether it is of any particular ideology. Sometimes the most workable and beneficial policies are associated with the right, sometimes with the left.

You wrote it so I don't need to. I just need to write that I agree.

 

[Mindmaster]

Do you identify as more right or left.

Also, who is/was your favorite communist? (if you have one. I'm kinda warming up to communism)

Would you say it's true that Pope Francis is a communist?

I'd say I'm socially liberal, but fiscally conservative. Sometimes I randomly agree with one side or the other in ways that are apparently in contradiction. Occasionally, both sides are retarded (abortion, for example, I do not feel/agree with either the notion that fetus isn't a living being, or think it was God's will either and that we're interfering... Both arguments are useless dogma, imho.. A single cell is alive, any other argument is simply stupid.)

I'm also non-authoritarian, in that I think the only thing the government can do right is the things that don't involve our personal lives.

 

[Kirran]

I'd say I'm socially liberal, but fiscally conservative. Sometimes I randomly agree with one side or the other in ways that are apparently in contradiction. Occasionally, both sides are retarded (abortion, for example, I do not feel/agree with either the notion that fetus isn't a living being, or think it was God's will either and that we're interfering... Both arguments are useless dogma, imho.. A single cell is alive, any other argument is simply stupid.)

Out of curiosity, who says a foetus isn't alive?

 

[Mindmaster]

Out of curiosity, who says a foetus isn't alive?

Well, the favorite of the pro-abortion crowd is of course to talk about how it is a parasite not a human being. I don't feel that way, and don't think abortion is anything but legalized murder. A lot of people don't like that, but it is what it is.

 

[Kirran]

Well, the favorite of the pro-abortion crowd is of course to talk about how it is a parasite not a human being. I don't feel that way, and don't think abortion is anything but legalized murder. A lot of people don't like that, but it is what it is.

I struggle with it myself, I tend to be liberal about early term abortion legally speaking but would find it very difficult in a personal situation.

But yeah, I mean of course it's alive, that just doesn't mean much.

 

[Kuzcotopia]

Quoted for truth.

Yep.

@David1967 it means I totally agree with you, @Laika is my favorite.

 

[Sunstone]

I'm the same. But in practice everything I've come across that seems good is in the left.

That's a sign of the gradual failing of the Right over the past forty or so years as the Right has swung increasingly to an extreme. Their policies have become increasingly extremist and impractical, or practical, but not beneficial. There are still a few good right wing policies though. And there are even more good right wing policies if you go back forty or fifty years and pick from the right wing policies of that time and period.

Phil, can you give an example of something you take a right-wing position on?

I'm a bit more right than left on gun control, but only a bit.

I'm far more right these days than left on free speech (especially in comparison to the Regressive Left that's so active on college campuses) in that I abhor unnecessary censorship.

I favor a two state solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, but if absolutely forced to make a choice between the two would come down on the side of Israel due to its more deeply entrenched democratic traditions.

I strongly favor fiscal responsibility in the form of efficient and effective government spending, but do not confuse that with elitist propaganda about austerity and other neoliberal economic policies designed to make the rich richer at the expense of the middle class and poor.

If see intrinsic worth in small scale capitalism as an engine of innovation.

I also see small, community-oriented business people as generally extremely valuable contributors to their communities. The local millionaire or multi-millionaire, in my experience, is usually quite a positive influence in his or her community. But death to the billionaires who suck money out of the local economies, destroying communities, and parking their wealth in tax shelters! (just half joking there).

I favor supporting those good people around the world who are demanding the liberalization of their societies, very much including Muslims calling for the reform and liberalization of their societies.

Those are some stances on which I tend to be at least a little more Right than Left these days.

 

[Mindmaster]

I struggle with it myself, I tend to be liberal about early term abortion legally speaking but would find it very difficult in a personal situation.

But yeah, I mean of course it's alive, that just doesn't mean much.

There is also the apparent hypocrisy of supporting abortion, and then saying you're going to back children in any meaningful way. I've always found that at least the "right" position on this made sense, help the kids, stop the abortions, etc. Anyway, this is one of the areas in leftists politics that are just beyond me... I lack the ability to ignore enough information to land "over there"...

 

[Kirran]

There is also the apparent hypocrisy of supporting abortion, and then saying you're going to back children in any meaningful way. I've always found that at least the "right" position on this made sense, help the kids, stop the abortions, etc. Anyway, this is one of the areas in leftists politics that are just beyond me... I lack the ability to ignore enough information to land "over there"...

Well I disagree with that. While I don't agree entirely with all-out pro-choice position, I think it's totally consistent. They do not consider the early embryo to have personhood, which is fair enough as it hasn't yet developed those faculties and has them only in potential. So they see no problem in harming it. Once it has developed to an extent to be considered a person their view changes.

I have found the American conservative position to be rather more hypocritical, given their disregard for gun violence deaths and support for capital punishment while saying they are "pro-life". If they were in line with Pope Francis' ideals of the "culture of life" I would sympathise with them far more.

 

[Spiderman]

I'm far-left. I'm almost falling off the scale leftwardly on Political Compass. My favorite communist is Thomas Sankara.

Were you far-left when you were a Catholic too?

 

[Debater Slayer]

I describe myself as neither. I think both the right and left wings nowadays have so many blatant flaws that render identifying with them problematic—mainly, bigotry and lack of respect for science on the right, and excessive political correctness and unrealistic thinking on the left.

I'd rather live under a mostly leftist government if I had to choose, though, especially when it comes to social issues.