perfidy

Interesting. I hadn't seen that first poll before... apparently I'm a realist too! (shock!)

As for the grid, my results vary. Today I'm Economic left/right +.75, or slightly right of center and Social libertarian/authoritarian -4.75, or slightly more permissive than Led Zeppelin's roadies on a three-night bender. In the past, my economic orientation has wavered between -.5 and +1, so I guess I'm a centrist there. My Social index is never less than 4.75, and is sometimes as high as 5.5 depending on the day.

That's me... yet another American for corporate reponsibility, American world leadership, and getting you goddamn kids the hell off my lawn.

1. Realist
2. Economic Left/Right: -5.00,
Social LA/A: -4.87

The latter quiz has a chart showing I'm next to the Dalai Lama. Realist. That's me.

I, too, was pleased to find confirmation that I am a realist. As for the political compass, my results on it have changed since the last time I took it.

Economic Left/Right: 3.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.15

So, it seems, I'm closest to Tony Blair, only with less hair and eloquence, and a bit less authoritarian.

I used to be spot-on in the center, but apparently I've puckered up a bit on economic issues. That test, by the way, is better than "The world's shortest political quiz" because its questions vary enough that you aren't tempted to throw down your answers as much by rote.

What the hell, I'm bored at work:

Based on your answers, you are most likely a liberal.

Liberals…

Are wary of American arrogance and hypocrisy
Trace much of today's anti-American hatred to previous US foreign policies.
Believe political solutions are inherently superior to military solutions
Believe the US is morally bound to intervene in humanitarian crises
Oppose American imperialism
Support international law, alliances, and agreements
Encourage US participation in the UN
Believe US economic policies must help lift up the world's poor

Historical liberal: President Woodrow Wilson
Modern liberal: President Jimmy Carter

I KNEW IT!! Traitor! TRAI-TO-OHHH-OR!

Why not move to Pinkochusetts, you pinko?!

I presume this means that everyone who's not classified as liberal believes the US must work to oppress the world's poor, revels in American arrogance and hypocrisy, and happens to hold the silly view that we're not simply hated by people because those people are disaffected losers?

I'd not previously thought of myself in those terms...

Johno,

There's a lotta love in Pinkochusetts:

Christian Monitor: Liberal

Political compass:
Economic left/right:-2.75
Social libertarian/authoritarian:-4

When I saw BRDGT's list I thought the same thing as Patton: ah! now we see the violence^&^&^biases inherent in the system!

But then I thought about it more. Although the "liberal" position is stated in absolute terms, it does describe what it describes well. The realist position is just as starkly drawn.

Patton, as regards the hate of the world thing, can't it be described as a little of column A, a boatload of column b? That is, if "A" is our past mistakes and abandonments and "B" being people's penchant to be poor, pissed off, and looking for a scapegoat?

Oh, haha. Also, Patton, I didn't mean to suggest you don't think before you comment. Quite the contrary, in fact.

There's also the fact that I live in Pinkochusetts and love it a bunch.

Au contraire, Mr. "getting you goddamn kids the hell off my lawn". I always think before I comment, it's just that sometimes I don't think as much as I should. I try to avoid that here, however, thanks for noticing. And no, it hadn't occurred to me you were dogging me.

I was simply trying to point out that the fact someone noodges just a bit into one quadrant or another provides a generic, all you can eat description. Like, for example, liberal. I'd never before thought of it as a fighting slur. Jimmy Carter's two main achievements are having mass and occupying space so equating me to him could get someone's tires slashed.

I have no informed opinion of Woody Wilson, but I will assert (and none of you can prove me wrong) that if he weren't dead, being put into a category with Jimmy Carter would cause him to wish he were. And I'm the same way, so thank goodness I didn't end up with a credit in the economic column, otherwise I'd have been a lower-left quadrant kind of guy, with the unfortunate result that I'd be too dead-from-suicide to continue wasting comment space on your server.

Such is the curse of a multi-faceted and well thought-out questionnaire, whose validity I can't vouch for, but which, at the end, slams a poor body into one of four boxes. It's rather like saying that pi = 3.

God people - it's a fucking internet quiz!

And, speaking only for myself, I thank my favorite deity that you posted an entry that allowed us to yammer on about it for just a bit longer, before we got off of your goddamned lawn.

You curmudgeonly curmudgeon, you...

Brdgt-- exactly!