# Where Are You on the Political Compass **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 9, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631 "2010-10-09T19:45:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![wolf-alice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9e8a1a/32.png) [@wolf-alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf-alice)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/61 "2010-10-11T10:43:19Z")
Economic Left/Right: -6.88 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.64 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/62 "2010-10-11T11:27:58Z")
Economic Left/Right: -6.25 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.87 There were a couple of questions I didn’t completely understand, but my dot ended up centred firmly in the green quadrant, which is probably about right. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/63 "2010-10-11T12:26:35Z")
Economic Left/Right: 1.38 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.46 I thought I would be more economically to the right than that. Like **Knowed Out** I thought some of the questions were politically biased. The following two would tend to push people towards economically left answers: > [@](#): > > It is regrettable that many personal fortunes are made by people who simply manipulate money and contribute nothing to their society. The “and contribute nothing to their society” adds bias to the question. What if your opinion is that people who manipulate money in general do contribute to society? Are you supposed to discount those people as not being who the question is about? I doubt it. and this one: > [@](#): > > A genuine free market requires restrictions on the ability of predator multinationals to create monopolies. The word “predator” spoils this question. Are we supposed to be answering only with respect to those multinationals who are (subjectively) deemed to be predators? The implication in the question is that all multinationals who create monopolies are predators. I am sure some people believe that, but the question excludes those who do not. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/64 "2010-10-11T14:56:45Z")
+2.38 - 5.03 Again, though, a lot of the questions are remarkably stupid in their wording. It’s not just bias. Consider this question: “It is a waste of time to try to rehabilitate some criminals” Unless you are very, very stupid, the only correct answer to this is “Strongly agree.” Because the question says **some** criminals, then logically the statement is obviously true. SOME criminals are just flat-out psychopaths who cannot be rehabilitated at all. So, in fact, it is absolutely true that it is a waste of time to try to rehabilitate SOME criminals, even if it is a very profitable use of time and money to try to rehabilitate all the other ones, who could represent 90% or more of criminals. But I am sure that by answering that “Strongly Agree” just because I’m so literally minded, I was tilted towards social authoritarian, even though in fact I am quite liberal about criminal law and think rehabilitation should be the main purpose of the penal system. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/65 "2010-10-11T14:59:26Z")
> [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > > [@gonzomax](#): > > > > -6.00 > > -3.95 > > I am with Ghandi and that is about right. I am a pacifist. I have hated the last 10 years of warring and exploitation. I might have been persuaded to enter WW2 , but that is about it. > > No the financial leaders and owners are not showing any love for America. It bothers me. Patriotism is for the little people. > > So 9-11 which were worse than the Pearl Harbour attacks count for nothing? “Pearl Harbor,” not “Harbour,” and how was 9/11 “Worse” than the Japanese surprise attack? Note: If you say body count, I will point you to the fact that Pearl Harbor was not the only place attacked; it was part of a multi-pronged offensive. Pearl Harbor was not the only reason the USA **entered World War I** I, which is what gonzo was specifically stating he supported. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/66 "2010-10-11T15:31:35Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > > [@Curtis LeMay](#): > > > > So 9-11 which were worse than the Pearl Harbour attacks count for nothing? > > “Pearl Harbor,” not “Harbour,” and how was 9/11 “Worse” than the Japanese surprise attack? > > Note: If you say body count, I will point you to the fact that Pearl Harbor was not the only place attacked; it was part of a multi-pronged offensive. Pearl Harbor was not the only reason the USA **entered World War I** I, which is what gonzo was specifically stating he supported. Not quite. I suppose I might have supported WW2. It was before my time but I am pretty resistant to war hysteria. I did not buy the Iraq war in spite of the fact every damn news station, including PBS, had caved. It did not feel right. I need to take more time before I jump into those waters. Every war should follow intense negotiations. Give peace a chance. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/67 "2010-10-11T15:36:34Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Pearl Harbor was not the only reason the USA **entered World War I** I, which is what gonzo was specifically stating he supported. Japan officially declared war as well as attacking Pearl. The US didn’t have much choice. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/68 "2010-10-11T16:48:41Z")
Your political compass Economic Left/Right: 3.38 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.62 ---
**Author:** ![HellsBreezeway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b4bc9f/32.png) [@HellsBreezeway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HellsBreezeway)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/69 "2010-10-11T17:06:58Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Every war should follow intense negotiations. Give peace a chance. [QUOTE=Winston Churchill] To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war. [/QUOTE] .. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/70 "2010-10-11T17:07:28Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Again, though, a lot of the questions are remarkably stupid in their wording. It’s not just bias. Consider this question: > > “It is a waste of time to try to rehabilitate some criminals” > > Unless you are very, very stupid, the only correct answer to this is “Strongly agree.” Because the question says **some** criminals, then logically the statement is obviously true… I agree with you. (And for that reason, the test may be less effective for more intelligent people. :D) BUT, I suspect the test design may be better than you give credit for. Much of the political “debate” _is_ about emotional underpinnings rather than actual policies. (I’ve had conversations with right-wingers where there was often common-ground discussing detailed policies, even though they give only Beck-Limbaughist rants when “debate” is more abstract.) ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/71 "2010-10-11T17:22:49Z")
Econ: -7.88 Lib: -8.05 ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/72 "2010-10-11T17:46:08Z")
Economic Left/Right: -7.25 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.23 ---
**Author:** ![BleizDu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@BleizDu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BleizDu)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/73 "2010-10-11T18:57:48Z")
Economic Left/Right: -8.25 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.64 ---
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/74 "2010-10-12T01:26:19Z")
I am a liberal leftist with scores of -5.3 to the left as opposed to right, and a -3.3 towards libertarian. I am happy to note that I am close to Ghandi (so what is wrong with this measuring instrument?), but would have been in the libertarian right quadant in my younger days. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/75 "2010-10-12T01:48:02Z")
Economic Left/Right: -5.38 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.00 I didn’t think I’d be that far left, to be honest. Although, a number of the questions were more complicated than the answers allowed. That’s the nature of these types of tests, I suppose… ---
**Author:** ![manila](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@manila](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manila)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/76 "2010-10-13T06:44:51Z")
Economic Left/Right: -4.62 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.13 poorly worded questions though ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/77 "2010-10-13T11:09:19Z")
Well, even considering my usual “but what if…” hedging on some questions’ wording (like others here), I’ve come out as…[Economic Left/Right: -2.62 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.28](http://www.politicalcompass.org/printablegraph?ec=-2.62&soc=-1.28). Wow, I think I’ve actually lefted-out a little since the last time I took one of these. That must be my “let gays run free!” beliefs balancing against my “publicly guillotine all who wrong me!” ones. ---
**Author:** ![Khaki\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Khaki\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khaki_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/78 "2010-10-13T11:34:19Z")
Economic Left/Right: -1.00 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 2.80 ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/79 "2010-10-13T11:48:25Z")
Economic Left/Right: -2.00 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.90 I’m surprised, as I thought I’d be further right economically. I am moving further toward the centre though, IIRC. It’s been a while since I last took the test. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-you-on-the-political-compass/556631/80 "2010-10-13T11:57:15Z")
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