# Making a map of dopers' political opinions **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 15, 2002, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968 "2002-12-15T22:53:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/61 "2002-12-16T21:36:29Z")
1. A 2. D 3. D 4)D 4. D 5. A 6. A 7. D 8. D 9. A 10. D 11. D 12. D 13. D 14. D 15. D 16. D 17. D 18. D 19. A 20. ? 21. D 22. D 23. D 24. D 25. D 26. D 27. D 28. D 29. A 30. D 31. D 32. A 33. D 34. ? 35. D 36. D 37. ? 38. ? 39. A 40. D 41. A So what do I win? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/62 "2002-12-16T22:47:04Z")
1. …right to reproduce –Ha! All “rights” are illusion; people have the capacity, so they will. 2. Abolish private ownership of income-generating property Neat idea. Is work-for-hire slavery? But wait, what about moviemaking? And is my car income-generating if I use it for work? 3. Most prisons should be closed; give the inmates jobs and counseling I sort of agree, but think we underuse the death penalty & overuse confinement. 4. Armies should be replaced by lightly armed border guards Huh? Where’d that come from? Standing armies _should_ be small, but supplemented by ad hoc forces. 5. Fortunes over a million dollars should be confiscated Now you sound like my mom. No no no! Land should sometimes be confiscated for environmental reasons, but confiscating “wealth,” defined as an arbitrary number, is merely a weapon in the hand of the acquisitor state. 6. National forests should be offlimits to logging One would think that’s the point… 7. Move to a hydrogen economy I laugh at those who think our current level of energy use can be maintained by _any_ means once the aeons-old stores of petroleum run out. It’s gonna be a _cold_ century. 8. People should be allowed to bill companies for time spent on hold No. How would this work? 9. Kids of convicts should receive mentoring, tutoring, scholarships, etc If you’re not going to kill them for the sins of their fathers, you ought to take responsibility for them. Of course, they may simply try to destroy _you._ 10. Low income seniors should get free drugs No no no! Mulch the poor! 11. The world’s institutions are patriarchal Some is, some ain’t. 12. There is no such thing as “mental illness” Of course there is, but not everything classed as an illness by modern psychiatrists really fits in that category. We simply are what we are. 13. There’s no need for a hierarchy of people having authority over others I’m not sure. Is there such a thing? Who watches the watchmen anyway? What we need is not authority, but goodness & honor–which is a different thing. 14. We are weakening our species by allowing defective specimens to survive Why would I want mankind to be any _stronger?_ 15. Spend $ on expansion (into space, oceans) not internal problems Ever hear “pluck out the plank in your own eye first”? 16. Reach out toward the stars before the earth is rendered unlivable ummm… are these the ones rendering it unlivable? No. 17. Guns should be encouraged, and shooting skills should be taught in schools Schools? Why should there be schools? 18. Property tax should be abolished Well, revised, anyway. 19. Intellectual property laws hurt humanity as a whole Hard to say. Maybe. 20. I enjoy riding on public transportation Yes. 21. It’s valid to not want to work Yes. 22. God exists Probably. 23. Homosexual behavior is a sin Hoo boy. “Sin” is a strong word. 24. Heaven and Hell exist No. 25. Underage drinking is wrong No more than adult drinking. 26. Prisons are too luxurious - make them do more hard labor Ha! 27. Affirmative Action is racist Yes 28. There is no place for guns in a civilized society Stupid! 29. Communism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there Communism cannot be enforced. 30. Socialism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there Arrgh! 31. Ararchism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there Arrgh! 32. Libertarianism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there Arrgh Arrgh! 33. There should be one world government No! 34. The government shouldn’t mess with the market I strongly disagree. 35. Industrial development, oil rigs, highways, etc aren’t ugly Do you have eyes? 36. We should exploit energy reserves in the ANWR No 37. No cause justifies violence I strongly disagree. 38. No cause justifies vandalism I strongly disagree. 39. We should all leave each other completely alone as much as possible I strongly disagree. 40. Limiting our individual freedoms will not stop terrorism True 41. Laisse-faire capitalism is the most efficient possible economic system I strongly disagree. 42. Society shouldn’t starve people into productivity I sort of agree. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/63 "2002-12-16T23:21:49Z")
Ordinarily, I hate these things. The questions are always loaded, almost in the category of “have you stopped beating your wife?”. I’ll answer, but I’m qualifying them when appropriate. 1. People shouldn’t automatically have the right to reproduce Disagree if they are peaceful and honest. Agree otherwise. 1. Abolish private ownership of income-generating property Disagree. 1. Most prisons should be closed; give the inmates jobs and counseling Agree for those prisons where the owner wants to close it. Disagree otherwise. 1. Armies should be replaced by lightly armed border guards Disagree. 1. Fortunes over a million dollars should be confiscated Disagree. 1. National forests should be offlimits to logging Agree if the forest owner says so. Disagree otherwise. 1. Move to a hydrogen economy Agree for those who want to. Disagree for those who don’t. 1. People should be allowed to bill companies for time spent on hold Disagree. 1. Kids of convicts should receive mentoring, tutoring, scholarships, etc Agree if guardians think so. Disagree otherwise. 1. Low income seniors should get free drugs Agree if someone wants to give them some. Disagree otherwise. 1. The world’s institutions are patriarchal (based on male authority) Agree. 1. There is no such thing as “mental illness” Disagree. 1. There’s no need for a hierarchy of people having authority over others Agree if you mean arbitrary authority. Disagree if you mean authority from voluntary and volitional consent. 1. We are weakening our species by allowing defective specimens to survive Disagree. 1. Spend $ on expansion (into space, oceans) not internal problems Agree for those who want to. Disagree otherwise. 1. Reach out toward the stars before the earth is rendered unlivable Agree for those who want to. Disagree otherwise. 1. Guns should be encouraged, and shooting skills should be taught in schools Agree for parents who think so. Disagree otherwise. 1. Property tax should be abolished Agree. 1. Intellectual property laws hurt humanity as a whole Disagree. 1. I enjoy riding on public transportation Disagree. 1. It’s valid to not want to work Agree. 1. God exists Agree. 1. Homosexual behavior is a sin Disagree. 1. Heaven and Hell exist Agree. 1. Underage drinking is wrong Agree if parents determine age. Disagree otherwise. 1. Prisons are too luxurious - make them do more hard labor Agree if prison owner thinks so. Disagree otherwise. 1. Affirmative Action is racist Agree. 1. There is no place for guns in a civilized society Disagree. 1. Communism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there Agree if person voluntarily consents. Disagree otherwise. 1. Socialism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there Disagree. 1. Ararchism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there Disagree. 1. Libertarianism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there Agree 1. There should be one world government Agree if every person in the world thinks so. Disagree otherwise. 1. The government shouldn’t mess with the market Agree if mess with means anything beyond suppression of coercion. Disagree otherwise. 1. Industrial development, oil rigs, highways, etc aren’t ugly Agree. 1. We should exploit energy reserves in the ANWR Agree for the owners of the reserves who want to. Disagree otherwise. 1. No cause justifies violence Agree is violence is initial. Disagree if violence is responsive. 1. No cause justifies vandalism Agree is vandalism is initial. Disagree if vandalism is responsive. 1. We should all leave each other completely alone as much as possible Agree for those who want to be left alone. Disagree otherwise. 1. Limiting our individual freedoms will not stop terrorism Agree. 1. Laisse-faire capitalism is the most efficient possible economic system Agree if coercion is supressed. Disagree otherwise. 1. Society shouldn’t starve people into productivity Agree if “Society” is someone’s name. Disagree ifs society is an abstract entity. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/64 "2002-12-16T23:25:58Z")
1. Guns should be encouraged, and shooting skills should be taught in schools Schools? Why should there be schools?–Seriously, I don’t really agree _or_ disagree with this one. Hmmmm… … 1. Prisons are too luxurious - make them do more hard labor Ha! --I’m philosohically leery of imprisonment in general _and_ American prisons are anything but luxurious. … 2. There is no place for guns in a civilized society Stupid! Of course there is! 3. Communism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there Communism cannot be _successfully_ enforced. 4. Socialism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there Aargh! 5. Anarchism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there Aargh! 6. Libertarianism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there Arrgh Arrgh! OK, let’s get this straight. None of these is going to be a success with just a few tweaks. Uh-uh. No governmental system (let alone lack thereof) can save you. Socialism is nothing new, & it can appear to “work,” but that doesn’t mean it’s _good._ Anarchism is basically the lack of something else (law, authority, socialism). Thus, it cannot “work.” While you can live in an anarchy, you still ought to stand for something, not just the absence-of-thing which is anarchy. Libertarianism is like anarchy–with governmental authority! You get the bad of both systems! Fools! … 1. Laisse-faire capitalism is the most efficient possible economic system I strongly disagree. --Laissez-faire capitalism is economic anarchy. It can only be tolerable if there is political anarchy as well, allowing anarchy’s methods to regulate it. Coupled with the enforcement of law, laissez-faire capitalism is murderously unrestrained. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/65 "2002-12-17T00:25:13Z")
1. D 2. D 3. D 4. D 5. D 6. D 7. 8. D 9. D 10. D 11. D 12. D 13. D 14. D 15. D 16. D 17. D 18. D 19. D 20. A 21. D 22. D 23. D 24. D 25. D 26. D 27. A 28. D 29. D 30. A 31. A 32. A 33. D 34. D 35. A 36. A 37. D 38. D 39. A 40. A 41. A 42. D ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/66 "2002-12-17T00:57:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ray20 \* > \*\* > > 1. A > 2. D > 3. [No answer - Jobs where, doing what?] > 4. D > 5. D > 6. A > 7. [N/A] > 8. A - Making them pay is another matter > 9. A > 10. D - All drugs, always? > 11. A > 12. D > 13. D > 14. A > 15. D - Spending on internal problems is necessary > 16. A > 17. D > 18. D > 19. D > 20. A > 21. A - Just don’t expect any benefit > 22. [N/A - Unkown] > 23. [N/A - If I can’t say there’s a God, how can I say what sin is?] > 24. [N/A - Unkown] > 25. D - overbroad > 26. [N/A] > 27. A - But is it justified? > 28. D > 29. D > 30. A > 31. D > 32. D > 33. A > 34. D > 35. D > 36. D > 37. D > 38. D > 39. A - As much as possible for what? > 40. A > 41. D - Efficient at doing what? > 42. A > > \*\* ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/67 "2002-12-17T01:11:23Z")
1. agree 2. 3. 4. 5. agree hey! what happened to 6? 1. agreee 2. 3. agree 4. agree 11)agree 5. agree 6. despite my love of Thomas Szasz, disagree 7. disagree 8. disagree 9. disagree 10. 11. disagree 12. disagree 13. disagree 14. disagree 15. I don’t even know what this means. “valid”? 16. 17. disagree 18. disagree 19. 20. disagree 21. disagree 22. agree 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. disagree 28. 29. 30. disagree 31. agree 32. agree 33. disagree 34. agree 35. 36. agree Blanks are, for the most part, issues that are too complex to summarize with an agree or disagree answer – or where your phrasing was so odd that I wasn’t sure whether what I would be agreeing/disagreeing with was what you were asking. ---
**Author:** ![king\_of\_spain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7cd45c/32.png) [@king\_of\_spain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/king_of_spain)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/68 "2002-12-17T01:15:27Z")
**1) People shouldn’t automatically have the right to reproduce** Disagree **2) Abolish private ownership of income-generating property** Disagree **3) Most prisons should be closed; give the inmates jobs and counseling** Disagree **4) Armies should be replaced by lightly armed border guards** Disagree **5) Fortunes over a million dollars should be confiscated** Disagree **7) National forests should be offlimits to logging** I always kinda thought that was the whole point of declaring them national forests. Maybe you’re using a different definition? **8) Move to a hydrogen economy** I don’t know much about it, and I suspect this isn’t the sort of thing we really have a choice about anyway. **9) People should be allowed to bill companies for time spent on hold** …tempting, but I’d probably disagree. **10) Kids of convicts should receive mentoring, tutoring, scholarships, etc** Agree **11) Low income seniors should get free drugs** Undecided, lean toward agree. **12) The world’s institutions are patriarchal (based on male authority)** Agree, for certain definitions of “institutions” and “based on.” **13) There is no such thing as "mental illness"** Disagree. **14) There’s no need for a hierarchy of people having authority over others** Does the definition of hierarchical authority include democratic government? If so, disagree; if not, agree. **15) We are weakening our species by allowing defective specimens to survive** …well, that’s probably true, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we shouldn’t do it. **16) Spend $ on expansion (into space, oceans) not internal problems** Disagree **17) Reach out toward the stars before the earth is rendered unlivable** Agree **18) Guns should be encouraged, and shooting skills should be taught in schools** Disagree **19) Property tax should be abolished** Disagree **20) Intellectual property laws hurt humanity as a whole** …I can see both sides, of this, and I’m currently trying to figure it out. **21) I enjoy riding on public transportation** Agree. But probably only because where I live I don’t get to do it much. **22) It’s valid to not want to work** Agree. I don’t know in what sense a desire could possibly be invalid. **23) God exists** Agree **24) Homosexual behavior is a sin** Disagree **25) Heaven and Hell exist** Agree. **26) Underage drinking is wrong** Disagree **27) Prisons are too luxurious - make them do more hard labor** Agree with the second part AND Disagree with the first part. **28) Affirmative Action is racist** True for a certain definition of “racist.” Whether it’s the bad kind of racist, I’m not sure. **29) There is no place for guns in a civilized society** Disagree **30) Communism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there** Disagree, strongly. **31) Socialism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there** Disagree. Although I might agree if you changed “a few tweaks” to “a whole lot of tweakage.” **32) Ararchism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there** Disagree. **33) Libertarianism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there** See 31. **34) There should be one world government** Disagree **35) The government shouldn’t mess with the market** Disagree. **36) Industrial development, oil rigs, highways, etc aren’t ugly** They’re not necessarily ugly. They certainly can sometimes be, though. **37) We should exploit energy reserves in the ANWR** Disagree **38) No cause justifies violence** Disagree **39) No cause justifies vandalism** Disagree **40) We should all leave each other completely alone as much as possible** Impossible to answer as “leave each other completely alone” could be taken in lots of wildly different ways. **41) Limiting our individual freedoms will not stop terrorism** Agree. And even if it would I’m not sure that would make it okay. **42) Laisse-faire capitalism is the most efficient possible economic system** Disagree **43) Society shouldn’t starve people into productivity** Huh? If you mean “the government shouldn’t actively take people’s food away as means of coercing them into productivity, like Stalinist Russia did,” then agree. If you mean “the government has an absolute duty to provide me with food,” then disagree. ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/69 "2002-12-17T04:19:19Z")
1. A 2. D 3. D 4. D 5. D 6. A 7. A 8. D 9. A 10. A 11. A 12. D 13. D 14. D 15. A 16. D 17. D 18. D 19. A 20. A 21. D 22. D 23. D 24. D 25. A 26. A 27. A 28. A 29. A 30. D 31. D 32. A 33. D 34. D 35. D 36. D 37. D 38. A 39. A ---
**Author:** ![Hazel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Hazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/70 "2002-12-17T05:47:47Z")
1. Some people shouldn’t be parents, but nevertheless, they have to have the right. How would we prevent them? Regulation by govt? I don’t think so! 2. Decriminalize acts that harm no one but the one doing them. Handle crimes vs. property as much as possible by making the offenders make restitution. We’d be able to close a lot of prisions if we used them only for violent criminals plus cases where property criminals refused to make restitution. 3. Armys should be reduced in size to that necessary to defend the country. Quit occupying other countries. 4. No fortune should be confiscated, but the richer you are, the higher your taxes should be. 5. and (9) Yes, absolutely. 6. Not sure what this is. 7. All kids from poor families should receive mentoring, tutoring, scholarships, etc. 8. True. 9. Disagree. I’d say much of it is situational, though. A saner society would have fewer nutcases. 10. There’s some need for it, but we’re way overdoing it. 11. Disagree. 12. Spend money on both. 13. Yes, yes, yes!!! 14. We should neither encourage nor discourage guns. Shooting skills and safe gun handling should be taught in schools. Small children should be taught to tell real guns from toys, and that real guns are not for kids their age. 15. Sales taxes should be abolished. They’re a darn nuisence. Sin taxes should be abolished. I want my sins to be less expensive. 16. I use public transportation. I wish it were more enjoyable. 17. Darn right! 18. No, he doesn’t. (Not any of the ones desribed in the holy books of our planet’s main religions, anyway.) 19. No, it isn’t. 20. No, they don’t. 21. The proper time of life for learning to handle alcohol and marijuana (or for discovering and accepting that one cannot handle them) is about 16-22. 22. We need to improve life in prison: put as stop to rape and bullying, give prisoners opportunities for education (basic literacy, GED studies) and self-improvment (job skills, job-seeking skills, 12-step programs, group therapy). 23. Yes, it is. May be justifed, however. 24. Disagree. 25. Disagree. 26. Hummm… Not absolute socialism. But we do need to do a few socialistic things. 27. Good goal to work toward. 28. Agree. 29. Probably not. Not with any real power, anyway. 30. Agree. 31. Yes, they are usually pretty ugly. 32. Disagree. 33. No cause justifies initiating violence, but it’s always okay to defend oneself. 34. I guess I agree. Who is saying vandalism is justifiable? 35. This is too ambiguous. We should mind our own businss, yes. But we should offer help and friendship when it seems wanted. 36. Darn right it won’t. 37. Maybe. I’m unsure. 38. Agree. ---
**Author:** ![Hazel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Hazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/71 "2002-12-17T05:55:51Z")
I started out skipping some, but wound up answering all but three. This seems silly, so here’s the other three. 1. Disagree. 2. I don’t know what to do about this one. Many drugs are way overpriced. But if we’re going to help the poor with medical costs, why only seniors? 3. Let’s not throw out the baby with the bathwater. Fix the problems, but don’t eliminate copyrights altogether. (Say, how come there’s no number six?) ---
**Author:** ![Hazel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Hazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/72 "2002-12-17T06:25:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*From a post by ray20 \* > \*\*I’m suprised we have so many 30s & 31s without ANY 2s. How’s that work? > \*\* As I understand it, communism would mean 2 (abolish private ownership of income-generating property). Maybe the people who agree with communism and disagree with 2 don’t know this? Not sure myself if socialism requires 2. I suspect that what most Americans mean by the term “socialism” does not include 2, but means “high taxes and lots of social services for everyone, sort of like in the Scandenavian countries” A lot of Americans want this – and a lot of other Americans call the ones who want this socialists. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/73 "2002-12-17T06:43:23Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by ray20 \* 1. Answering by yes or no would lead to misleading conclusions about my actual opinions 2. I disagree 3. Can’t answer 4. I disagree 5. Answering by yes or no would lead to misleading conclusions about my actual opinions 6. Can’t answer 7. I don’t know 8. I disagree 9. Interesting question 10. I agree 11. Insufficient definitions. Can’t answer 12. I disagree 13. I disagree 14. Answering by yes or no would lead to misleading conclusions about my actual opinions 15. False dilemna 16. False dilemna 17. I disagree 18. Context needed 19. Generally speaking, I disagree 20. I agree 21. Insufficient definitions. Can’t answer 22. I disagree 23. Irrelevant question in light of 23) 24. I disagree 25. Insufficient definitions. Can’t answer 26. Can’t answer 27. I don’t know enough about this issue to answer the question 28. Answering by yes or no would lead to misleading conclusions about my opinion 29. I disagree 30. I agree 31. I disagree 32. I disagree 33. I agree 34. I disagree 35. I think the Eiffel tower is ugly 36. What is the ANWR? 37. I disagree 38. I disagree 39. I disagree 40. Answering by yes or no would lead to misleading conclusions about my opinions 41. I disagree 42. I agree ---
**Author:** ![dead0man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@dead0man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dead0man)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/74 "2002-12-17T12:09:25Z")
1.D 2.D 3.D 4.D 5.D 6. 7.D 8.D 9.D 10.A 11.D 12. 13.D 14.D 15.A 16.D 17.D 18.D 19.D 20.D 21.D 22.D 23.A 24.D 25.A 26.D 27.A 28.A 29.D 30.D 31.D 32.D 33.A 34.D 35.A 36.A 37.A 38.D 39.D 40.A 41.A 42.D 43.D ---
**Author:** ![AbsolutelyStark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/278dde/32.png) [@AbsolutelyStark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbsolutelyStark)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/75 "2002-12-17T12:47:17Z")
1. A 2. D 3. D 4. D 5. D 6. D 7. D 8. D 9. D 10. A 11. D 12. D 13. A 14. D 15. D 16. D 17. D 18. A 19. D 20. D 21. D 22. D 23. A 24. D 25. D 26. D 27. A 28. A 29. D 30. A 31. D 32. D 33. D 34. A 35. A 36. A ---
**Author:** ![Coil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Coil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coil)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/76 "2002-12-17T14:27:59Z")
Ok I´ll answer. Some of the questions are badly worded though and a few adress very US specific issues which may be hard for some of us non-US dopers. I´m interested in the results of your work though. 1. Disagree. 2. Disagree. 3. Disagree. 4. Disagree. Might be nice if it was possible though. 5. Disagree. 6. Disagree. 7. Disagree. Difficult to understand question though. 8. Hard to answer yes or no. 9. Disagree. They should not automatically get all these things, but of course some of these kids may require extra help in some ways. 10. Depends on the setup of the system. 11. Disagree. 12. Disagree. 13. Disagree. 14. Disagree. 15. Why not a combination? 16. Another question that is hard to say yes or no to. What if you do not believe that the earth is close to becoming unlivable? One could be positive to expansion into space wihtout believing in a coming disaster. 17. Disagree. This is a question more relevant to US dopers though. 18. Agree. 19. Disagree I think. Some arguments against IP are relevant and others are not. 20. Sometimes. 21. Agreed. Sure it is valid to want anything but don´t expect to get anything in return. 22. Disagree 23. Disagree 24. Disagree 25. Agree. But maybe the drinking age should be higher or lower? 26. In some aspects at least Swedish prisons are too luxurious in others not. 27. I don´t know if I would call it racist but it is still wrong for other reasons. 28. Disagree. 29. Disagree 30. Disagree 31. Disagree 32. Agree 33. Disagree. Depends on how that government is however? 34. Agree for the most part. There are however some market failures where government intervention may be beneficial. 35. Industry and development is not bad but individual plants/rigs/factories may be ugly. 36. Agree. If it is ecnomical to do it and the benefits outweigh any environmental damage done. Another US-specific question. 37. Disagree 38. Agree 39. Agree. If another person wants to be left alone that´s his/her problem. Not sure I like the question though. 40. Probably not. But the real qustion is if it is worth giving up freedoms to reduce terrorism. 41. Mostly agree 42. ??? ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/77 "2002-12-17T14:54:37Z")
here’s mine (bear in mind I’m British so my slant may be a bit diffrent) 1. People shouldn’t automatically have the right to reproduce Cobblers, who would chose? 2. Abolish private ownership of income-generating property More cobblers 3. Most prisons should be closed; give the inmates jobs and counselling Sort of, many inmates aren’t danegerous, they’re addicted or ill, but there are some evil bastards out there 4. Armies should be replaced by lightly armed border guards Cods. Bigger more powerful armies required 5. Fortunes over a million dollars should be confiscated A million dollars is £700,000. You can’t buy a decent house for that where I live 6. National forests should be offlimits to logging No opinion 7. Move to a hydrogen economy Don’t know wnough to comment 8. People should be allowed to bill companies for time spent on hold In utopia yes, 10) Kids of convicts should receive mentoring, tutoring, scholarships, etc Worth a try 11) Low income seniors should get free drugs They do in the UK, and it works well here 12) The world’s institutions are patriarchal (based on male authority) Of course. 13) There is no such thing as “mental illness” Complicated but there is certainlty such a thing as mental dysfunction 14) There’s no need for a hierarchy of people having authority over others No other method works 15) We are weakening our species by allowing defective specimens to survive Not noticeably we’re not 16) Spend $ on expansion (into space, oceans) not internal problems Why not both? 17) Reach out toward the stars before the earth is rendered unlivable Unrealistic 18) Guns should be encouraged, and shooting skills should be taught in schools Not relevant to UK, but too many guns equals too much gun crime 19) Property tax should be abolished No 20) Intellectual property laws hurt humanity as a whole No, the stuff wouldn’t exist if not for he prospect of reward 21) I enjoy riding on public transportation Its an ordeal in London, but can be pleasant elsewher 22) It’s valid to not want to work But not to expect someone else to pay for it 23) God exists yup 24) Homosexual behavior is a sin Not really (but it isn’t a good thing either) 25) Heaven and Hell exist Not in the commonly held sense 26) Underage drinking is wrong Nope, it’s a rite of passage 27) Prisons are too luxurious - make them do more hard labor No they’re horrible enough 28) Affirmative Action is racist Indeed it is 1. There is no place for guns in a civilized society Quite so 2. Communism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there It never has worked, it never will work 3. Socialism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there As above 4. Ararchism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there No one with a brain in their head believes this 5. Libertarianism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there Nope 6. There should be one world government Only if I can lead it 7. The government shouldn’t mess with the market In general agree 8. Industrial development, oil rigs, highways, etc aren’t ugly Depends on context, next to the pyramids they would be 9. We should exploit energy reserves in the ANWR What does this mean 10. No cause justifies violence Plenty do 11. No cause justifies vandalism As above 12. We should all leave each other completely alone as much as possible Why? 13. Limiting our individual freedoms will not stop terrorism No it won’y but it will curtail the frequency 14. Laisse-faire capitalism is the most efficient possible economic system certainly seems to be 15. Society shouldn’t starve people into productivity Why not? ---
**Author:** ![cart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ec8ea/32.png) [@cart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cart)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/78 "2002-12-17T16:13:30Z")
Another non-American here. **1) People shouldn’t automatically have the right to reproduce** Agree. **2) Abolish private ownership of income-generating property** Disagree. **3) Most prisons should be closed; give the inmates jobs and counseling** Disagree. I believe that rehabilitation should have a higher priority than it does currently, and alternative punishments such as community service used where appropriate, but I suspect that there are still more than enough dangerous criminals to keep the prisons full. **4) Armies should be replaced by lightly armed border guards** Disagree. I’m not sure I understand the question entirely though. “Armies” would imply this being a multilateral thing, but in an ideal world we wouldn’t need border guards either. **5) Fortunes over a million dollars should be confiscated** Disagree. **7) National forests should be offlimits to logging** Agree. **8) Move to a hydrogen economy** Don’t understand the question. **9) People should be allowed to bill companies for time spent on hold** Disagree. **10) Kids of convicts should receive mentoring, tutoring, scholarships, etc** Disagree. **11) Low income seniors should get free drugs** Agree. **12) The world’s institutions are patriarchal (based on male authority)** Disagree. They may have developed out of male authority but I think they are no longer patriarchal. I’m talking here about the ‘western’ world. **13) There is no such thing as "mental illness"** Disagree. Although I am not in favour of the over-use of the term to abdicate responsibility in certain circumstances. **14) There’s no need for a hierarchy of people having authority over others** Disagree. Sometimes there is. **15) We are weakening our species by allowing defective specimens to survive** Agree. **16) Spend $ on expansion (into space, oceans) not internal problems** I can’t answer this one. I believe expansion into space is vital but dealing with “internal problems” may sometimes be more urgent. **17) Reach out toward the stars before the earth is rendered unlivable** Strongly agree. **18) Guns should be encouraged, and shooting skills should be taught in schools** Disagree. **19) Property tax should be abolished** Sorry, but I don’t know what property tax is. **20) Intellectual property laws hurt humanity as a whole** Disagree. I’m assuming here that this question represents a choice between either having intellectual property laws or not having them, rather than asking whether existing laws should be improved. **21) I enjoy riding on public transportation** Agree. **22) It’s valid to not want to work** Agree. **23) God exists** I don’t know, I’m an agnostic. **24) Homosexual behavior is a sin** Disagree. I’m assuming you’re asking if it’s morally wrong, as “sin” seems to imply a religious viewpoint. **25) Heaven and Hell exist** I don’t know. **26) Underage drinking is wrong** Disagree. **27) Prisons are too luxurious - make them do more hard labor** Disagree. **28) Affirmative Action is racist** Strongly agree. And it breeds more racism. **29) There is no place for guns in a civilized society** Disagree. This is a bit of an ambiguous question, but I would say at the very least you need to be able to defend yourself from any nearby uncivilised society. **30) Communism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there** Agree. **31) Socialism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there** Agree. **32) Ararchism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there** Agree. **33) Libertarianism has some promise with a few tweaks here and there** Agree. With each of these four questions it all depends on the size of the tweaks. All political systems have some merit in theory. **34) There should be one world government** Strongly disagree. **35) The government shouldn’t mess with the market** Disagree. **36) Industrial development, oil rigs, highways, etc aren’t ugly** Disagree. **37) We should exploit energy reserves in the ANWR** I don’t know what the ANWR is. **38) No cause justifies violence** Disagree. **39) No cause justifies vandalism** Disagree. **40) We should all leave each other completely alone as much as possible** I don’t understand the question. **41) Limiting our individual freedoms will not stop terrorism** Strongly agree. In fact it may even increase it. **42) Laisse-faire capitalism is the most efficient possible economic system** Disagree. **43) Society shouldn’t starve people into productivity** I don’t understand the question. ---
**Author:** ![kasuo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8c91f0/32.png) [@kasuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kasuo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/79 "2002-12-17T16:26:28Z")
1. disagree 2. disagree 3. disagree 4. disagree 5. disagree 6. disagree 7. disagree 8. disagree 9. disagree 10. disagree 11. agree 12. disagree 13. disagree 14. disagree 15. disagree 16. agree 17. agree 18. agree 19. disagree 20. disagree 21. agree 22. agree 23. disagree 24. disagree 25. disagree 26. agree 27. agree 28. disagree 29. disagree 30. disagree 31. disagree 32. agree 33. disagree 34. agree 35. agree 36. agree 37. agree 38. agree 39. disagree 40. agree 41. agree 42. agree ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-a-map-of-dopers-political-opinions/142968/80 "2002-12-17T18:02:00Z")
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