Back in the fall of 2000, I took the Political Compass test and the results were that I was right in the middle between the Economic Left/Right, leaning ever so slightly to the right, and I was Libertarian, but not by much.
Since I took the test, Bush became president, 9/11 occurred, Homeland Security came in to place, we’ve been on “alert” for over a year and a half, and the world has changed.
It’s interesting to see how I’ve changed with it. I took the test again, and I am now a definate Libertarian, on the left. Economic Left/Right: -2.25; Authoritarian/Libertarian: -4.97. (You can view what the analysis means, but take the test first.) Won’t my parents be proud?
Speaking of my parents, I was talking with my Mom last weekend about an e-mail that her third cousin sent to her. He is from Austria and lives in Finland now. He asked her if we feel safer in America now – safer than we did before 9/11. I laughed. I don’t feel safer, because the government itself scares me. They won’t allow us to feel safe. If you notice, any time things seem to settle, there is something that pops up that should remind us all to be scared.
I’m sorry – I don’t feel that Iraq was a threat to us. Yes, Saddam was a horrid man, and treated the people of his country poorly with his insane tactics. I felt he should have been taken out of power years ago. I was slightly convinced that the war was “ok” because we were going to bring democracy to Iraq, but now I see what I feared coming true. Bush wants them to have freedom, as long as it’s freedom our way. I could go on and on about this, but this article says it all for me already: “Operation: Iraqi Freedom (To Do What We Tell You)” The Iraqi’s want to have a national congress this summer to select their own leaders – you know, that democratic freedom we promised and all that – and Bush & Co. are insisting that we pick their leaders first. Basically because it’s in our best interest. Uh huh, that’s what freedom is all about here in America…
It’s really not surprising to me at all that after the events of the past two years I’ve moved to the Libertarian Left. No, not a surprise at all.
I don’t believe that Iraq will ever be “free” in the sense we want it to be. Their culture is not our culture. I don’t believe that it is right for the United States to go stomping around the globe, trying to force everyone to be like us. Isn’t that what Imperialism is all about? We don’t have the money to help people in our own country who are unemployed, homeless, need medical care, and any other number of things. Our public education system is in the toilet. Why are we spending billions to run around saving the rest of the world when we can’t even save ourselves?
And just where the hell are those Weapons of Mass Destruction that Bush swore were in Iraq and we had to go and save the world from anyways?
11 replies on “Changes Over Time…”
Hehe, this is what I’ve been saying all along (and I would normally consider myself a Republican). Grrr, the next presidential election can’t come soon enough – the scary thought is that Bush could very well get elected again … :\
I recently took the same test. I’m still libertarian right, must be the capitalism stuff. I’m totally all about a free market and less governement intervention.
There are things that worry me about the war with Saddam. I haven’t been able to digest it all yet in my puny brain, so I’m just waiting to see what comes out in the wash.
Honestly though, I don’t think there is much difference between the DNC and the GOP. They all swing the same way in the end.
Ok… you politely asked, so I will politely respond. And for reference, my political test resulted in a slightly libertarian (1 tick down) and considerably right (4 ticks right) view on life. I must also say that I generally don’t talk about politics with my friends because I just don’t like debate; it’s not that I can’t handle myself… it is just that I don’t ever enjoy it.
Any generation that has been in an aggressive situation as had to wade through some inconveniences that seemed to some to impede on their liberties. I personally do not feel that I am at risk from my government and I feel that there biggest job is to protect the doctrines of the constitution. I have not seen any act that has cut out any of my constitutional rights. If I see one, then I will act – no matter who is in office.
Iraq was not a direct threat to the soil of the United States in that they did not have the ability to fire weapons from Iraq that would hit us. I do firmly believe, through faith in my administration and observations of the acts of the previous regime, that they were supporting factions around the globe that do have access to American targets. I believe that this support was not that of Iraq but of Saddam’s regime. You must remember that this was not a religious man, but a businessman. The thing is that he would use any means of support, including the attempt to involve himself in religion.
I also do not see us attempting to install our government. We have given guidelines for what they should attain for their country and a lot of those guidelines are in fact American virtues and political views. But the administration is fully aware that when we leave, they will just do what they want.
And as far as “free” you are correct in your assertion that they are different. Iraq is very tribal. That is what got us to this point right now. I don’t believe that we understand that point well enough. But I do believe this country and many others have been through the same thing before. It takes time and desire. We’ll just see how much desire they have.
I just think that social programs are a joke. These are not constitutional liberties to receive aid from the government. Certain parties pushed and pushed to extend unemployment benefits and it just extended reliance on government social programs. I may need one of these programs in the future, so I cannot speak personally of their importance to others. But I think that any program that makes an individual reliant on the government is not good. It is because those people will always want more and then politicians will just allow government and the extent of its reach to get bigger and bigger. And don’t jump to conclusions when you try to figure out which party has generally made the government bigger and dependence on these programs firmer.
And we don’t need to find WMD’s to make this aggression legit. The U.N. resolutions, taken by their word, allowed this based on multiple infractions from Iraq.
OK, now blast away. I just get sick when I talk politics.
i fully agree with you on your post here, though i was one of those who were against the war from the beginning. it took many fights with americans, and i feel very fine now to read your opinion and having changed your mind about the war, though now that it’s over it won’t do much anymore. i don’t think the US-administration will let go what they have right now. they even fooled the UN which i think was really wrong, because the UN should stand for a neutral place of countries to come to the best solution about that kind of problems. but when the USA smelled that the UN wouldn’t agree with them, the USA just went out on their own. i think that is very unfortunate.
It’s a rare thing that an opinion can change upon actually looking at the facts. Others, like Stu D above, will continue to be guided by “faith” regardless of the truth. Reading a post like yours does give me some hope though. Thanks. 🙂
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So, I was reading blogs this evening in an attempt to catch up after a weekend away from the computer and ran across a great entry from Christine of Big Pink Cookie. A nifty online quiz called The Political Compass….
This site is interesting as well as informative. Enjoyed browsing through the site. Keep up the good work. Greetings..
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