Political Compass

There are lots of these political compass tests out there, this is the first one that has extensive questions to answer and an accurate reading of those answers.

Usually the simpler versions of this "Tiniest Political Quiz" types end up only simplifying ones political position between the four posts as you will see below.

This quiz accurately gauges differences, and since its from the UK it isn't subject to the usual American right wing liberaltarian triteness of the other quizzes.

I am impressed.

I am also impressed that the authors make reference to being inspired by Wilhelm Reich and Theodore Adorno. That makes them part of the Libertarian Left.

But I am not impressed enough to pay them to send me my chart with suitable graphic.

So I will just post my results here. To promote this as the very best version of the Political Quiz/Compass on the web that I have found.

And I have posted the one they have for Canada. To compare where I stand in relation to My Fellow Canadians (he said in his be Diefenbaker waddle).

A tip o the blog to The Left End of the Dial for this.

About The Political Compass

In the introduction, we explained the inadequacies of the traditional left-right line.

If we recognise that this is essentially an economic line it's fine, as far as it goes. We can show, for example, Stalin, Mao Tse Tung and Pol Pot, with their commitment to a totally controlled economy, on the hard left. Socialists like Mahatma Gandhi and Robert Mugabe would occupy a less extreme leftist position. Margaret Thatcher would be well over to the right, but further right still would be someone like that ultimate free marketeer, General Pinochet.

That deals with economics, but the social dimension is also important in politics. That's the one that the mere left-right scale doesn't adequately address. So we've added one, ranging in positions from extreme authoritarian to extreme libertarian.

Both an economic dimension and a social dimension are important factors for a proper political analysis. By adding the social dimension you can show that Stalin was an authoritarian leftist (ie the state is more important than the individual) and that Gandhi, believing in the supreme value of each individual, is a liberal leftist. While the former involves state-imposed arbitary collectivism in the extreme top left, on the extreme bottom left is voluntary collectivism at regional level, with no state involved. Hundreds of such anarchist communities exisited in Spain during the civil war period

You can also put Pinochet, who was prepared to sanction mass killing for the sake of the free market, on the far right as well as in a hardcore authoritarian position. On the non-socialist side you can distinguish someone like Milton Friedman, who is anti-state for fiscal rather than social reasons, from Hitler, who wanted to make the state stronger, even if he wiped out half of humanity in the process.

The chart also makes clear that, despite popular perceptions, the opposite of fascism is not communism but anarchism (ie liberal socialism), and that the opposite of communism ( i.e. an entirely state-planned economy) is neo-liberalism (i.e. extreme deregulated economy).

The usual understanding of anarchism as a left wing ideology does not take into account the neo-liberal "anarchism" championed by the likes of Ayn Rand, Milton Friedman and America's Libertarian Party, which couples law of the jungle right-wing economics with liberal positions on most social issues. Often their libertarian impulses stop short of opposition to strong law and order positions, and are more economic in substance (ie no taxes) so they are not as extremely libertarian as they are extremely right wing. On the other hand, the classical libertarian collectivism of anarcho-syndicalism ( libertarian socialism) belongs in the bottom left hand corner.

In our home page we demolished the myth that authoritarianism is necessarily "right wing", with the examples of Robert Mugabe, Pol Pot and Stalin. Similarly Hitler, on an economic scale, was not an extreme right-winger. His economic policies were broadly Keynesian, and to the left of some of today's Labour parties. If you could get Hitler and Stalin to sit down together and avoid economics, the two diehard authoritarians would find plenty of common ground.

Your political compass

Economic Left/Right: -7.63
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -8.21

Authoritarian
Left		Right
Libertarian

The Canadian Party Political Compass

In response to many requests from Canadian visitors, we're pleased to produce this chart.

Yes, we know that there are smaller parties that some of you would have liked us to include, and individual politicians whose positions would be nice to have up there as well. There may be other additions in due course. We do what we can with our advertising-free and free-to access site. Should we secure a Canadian sponsor, we can, of course, produce further interesting charts.

We'd like to thank those Canadians who generously gave their time to assist our research. Bloc Québécois presented us with a real challenge, since it is primarily a single-goal party promoting Québec independence. As such, it attracts members from all quadrants of The Political Compass who often have little else in common.

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A Plague on Both Their Houses

As I have said here, the reason to withdraw Canadian Troops out of harms way in Afghanistan is that since Kandahar is part of the porous border in dispute between Pakistan and Afghanistan then its their problem not ours.

Pakistan and the Afghan Army should patrol this area. If Karzai needs troops he can hire them. Since many of the "private contractors" are withdrawing from Iraq they are always looking for work. Besides thats the American Libertarian way.

And clearly the Pakistani government is playing both sides of the coin.As I have pointed out here. It has supported the Taliban, it has supported the terrorists in Kashmir, its has a record of playing both sides.

Afghan-Pakistani Relations Deteriorating

But a spike in violence in Afghanistan has fueled suspicions in Kabul that Pakistan's intelligence agencies may be still supporting the Taliban, which Pakistan strongly denies. About 1,600 people were killed in violence in Afghanistan last year, the most since the Taliban was ousted in 2001.

Yep, another Mission Accomplished!




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Brokeback Alberta

Thousands of men are arriving every day to work in camps in Alberta's booming Tar Sands.

Men, thousands, horny, in camps.

You don't have to be a cowboy to realize why Alberta was perfect for filming Brokeback Mountain.

But had they called it Fort McMurray would it have won?

Alberta Conservative MLA praises Brokeback Mountain

Brokeback Mountain, a Academy Award-winning movie shot in Alberta about two gay cowboys, has won high praise from a Conservative member of the Alberta legislature.

In a member’s statement today, George Groeneveld, who represents the southwestern riding of Highwood where it was filmed, congratulated those who worked on the movie.

The film won three Oscars at Sunday’s Academy Awards, including best director. It had been nominated for six, losing the highly coveted best picture honour to Crash.

Groeneveld said it captures the best Alberta has to offer tourists - big skies, beautiful landscapes, horse trails and the ranch experience.

He didn’t mention the plot of the movie, which is about two cowboys who fall in love while herding sheep in the mountains and spend the rest of their lives trying to come to terms with their secret relationship.

Yep he is still in denial unlike the Calgary Stampede folks the ultimate cowboy fetishists.

Gay connection

Call it karmic justice.

The province long admired by human rights holdouts as a shining beacon of hope in denying gays their full dignity has contributed much to what may well be a watershed in their ultimate acceptance.

Cementing that irony is the vehicle employed, one normally an icon of masculine heterosexuality that's as much a symbol in Alberta of rock-ribbed adherence to tradition and convention as anything -- the cowboy.

Brokeback Mountain's a film that's done more to normalize homosexual relationships than any pop culture entry in memory and Alberta is its canvas.

A rollicking rhapsody of frothing Alberta rivers, alpine crags and raucous honky tonks set the stage for forbidden love.

If cowboys riding the rugged range can be gay, maybe they really are born that way.

It's a truth laid bare on film that's highly toxic to those who'd withhold equality from some of their neighbours.

And how will the Calgary Stampede react to the new version of the romance of the old West?

Will Stampede queen take on a whole new meaning?

Surely Brokeback stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger are parade marshal material, whose presence would pay worthy homage to the heart of the new West. And better still for the purveyors of family entertainment, they're straight.

One would assume the invitations have already been sent.

A spokesman for Calgary's ultimate old boys' club sounds downright enlightened, bullish on all things Brokeback.

"It's a celebration of the cowboy lifestyle ... it's a love story and there's nothing wrong with that," says Lindsey Galloway, who sounds like he's playing with a fire hot enough in these parts to brand with.

"We're certainly leveraging the opportunities of Brokeback Mountain ... it wouldn't go against our values."

That sounds like fertile ground for a "salute to the alternative cowboy" with a once-taboo turn in the Grandstand Show.

And not to be left out of the Oscar frenzy and Alberta love in with Brokeback Mountain even the Alberta government press release quotes the union involved in making the film. The Union. In anti-union, anti-gay Alberta.

Damien Petti, president of IATSE Local 212, the union representing most of the 600 crew who worked on the film, was also among the cheering crowd watching the Academy Awards. "Credibility. Alberta crews have even more of that after tonight. Our crews have had an amazing year, and we’ve proven to the world that we can produce high-quality films right here in Alberta."

And of course we will camp it up with our cowboy culture cause thats what brings in the tourist bucks. Besides the Stampede is the ultimate in cowboy camp.

Searching for the real 'Brokeback'

FILM, BOOK DRAW VISITORS TO THE BREATHTAKING VISTAS OF WYOMING, ALBERTA

See my other Brokeback stories


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Brecht Meets Oscar

Last nights Academy Awards was the liberal revenge of Hollywood. Ang Lee denouncing Homophobia and racism.

The later was ironic in light of the controversy around the Oscar for best song;

Oscar Winner Hits Angry Chord When Christine Smith heard the song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" announced as the Oscar winner for best original song on Sunday night's telecast, she almost fell off the sofa in her Arlington living room.

George Clooney predictably announced that it was the return of films with real social values not commercial value that counted.

Then he launched into an impassioned and supportive speech about the liberal mindset of Hollywood. This despite accusations, and Oscar host Jon Stewart’s jokes, that it means Hollywood is out of touch with George W. Bush’s mainstream America. “I’m proud to be part of this Academy,” Clooney said, “proud to be part of this community and proud to be out of touch.”

The morning after this proved all too true. South Dakota gov. signs abortion ban into law

Best of all award for speeches goes to Canadian Writer/Director of Best Picture Crash, Paul Haggis quoting Berthold Brecht; Art is not a mirror to hold up to society but a hammer with which to shape it.

Berthold Brecht the Marxist, well it took a Canadian. Guess despite the election of the Harper that proves we are a nation of Cultural Marxists up here much to the chagrin of the looney right.

And hey those wacky wonderful socialist Penguins won an Oscar too!


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No Taliban Here

A number of self proclaimed 'progressive' 'left-wing' Pro War bloggers like Terry Glavin , The Amazing Wonderdog and Jim Monk have asserted that the Taliban Did It, in knee jerk response to the attack in Kandahar on journalist, social activist and Canadian Army Captain Trevor Greene.

Of course as a journalist Glavin should know better than make an unfounded assertion without the facts to back it up. Especially when he is repeating spurious accusations released by the Military.

Brig.-Gen. David Fraser, head of the Canadian contingent of 2,200 troops in Afghanistan, said in no uncertain terms Sunday that the attacker was an operative of the Taliban.

But being pro-war the facts don't matter its good sensationalist reporting to prove a badly made point that’s important.

And no the Taliban did not do it. A simple reading of even the article I posted here the other day proves that;


Afghan villagers won't say who axe-wielding attacker of Canadian was

The villager, in his 20s, held the axe high over Greene's head and yelled "Allah Akbar" - God is Great - the signature call of an Islamist suicide attacker.

A villager, not a Taliban fighter. Oh yes dead give away that Allah Akbar. Sheesh this is Afghanistan everyone says that. Didn't anyone ever see Gunga Din?

Even a right wing Pro War blogger like Candace doesn’t stoop to making false claims that the Taliban did it. She quotes the CTV report which was based on an eyewitness account by a Canadian soldier;

"He was surrounded by many local tribesmen as well as Canadian soldiers," Chao told CTV Newsnet. "However as the meeting began, we understand, a man with an axe came out and attacked him. Immediately following there was chaos, Canadian soldiers opened fire, we understand, after some grenades were lobbed by some other attackers.

Ok a man with an axe now but still no Taliban identified in this story either. Nor any screaming of Allah Ahkbar.

The truth on the other hand is muddier and grey. And reinforces what I have said, our troops are replacing retreating US forces and being attacked for it.

Villager: Axe attacker was not Taliban

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CP) - An Afghan elder is disputing the Canadian military's claim that a man with an axe who seriously wounded a Canadian soldier was a Taliban operative, but Haji Mohammed Eisah's assertion only underlines the murky world of political affiliations in southern Afghanistan. Eisah says the axe-wielding attacker was Abdul Karim, a 16-year-old boy who was upset by the U.S.-led coalition's heavy-handed tactics and insensitivity to tribal traditions. Eisah said the boy had no Taliban connections. Eisah said Karim was the son of a poor shoe repairman in Kondalan Schinkai. Senior military sources confirmed the identity of the attacker on Monday, but said Karim's exact age is impossible to establish. Eisah says the boy was one of many local people who are angry at coalition and Afghan army tactics, such as operations where they search and occupy the homes of villagers. "They come to our village and search our homes and our women," Eisah in an interview by satellite telephone. "This guy was very angry about these kinds of operations." Eisah was part of a delegation of conservative rural tribal elders from the heart of Taliban country who travelled to Kandahar city a couple weeks ago to complain about house-to-house searches. The elders said coalition troops break down doors and search randomly after attacks, sending women out of the house and outraging community members. Afghan troops often follow up by occupying houses and stealing their meat, the elders complained. "Coalition forces come and search the homes, Afghan forces stay the night and we have to take our women to another home," Eisah said.

What Glavin wants to assert is that there is popular support for foreign forces in Afghanistan because some polls say so. But the people, the masses, the folks in Kandahar failed to read those polls I guess.

Our troops are not being attacked for being friendly Canadian Peace Keepers building schools, and hospitals, and sweeping for land mines, but for being mistaken for American troops who with their Afghan army cohorts raided villages in the war zone.

And while Glavin and Monk and others promote the Taliban Did It thesis, to prove their point that this is a remake of the Spanish Civil War and our Troops are akin to the International Brigades the truth is this is NOT the same.

Glavin wants there to be one fascist enemy the Taliban. But in reality there are no clear cut lines like in the Spanish Civil War. Instead even the current regime being defended is full of fascists and misogynist Warlords as bad as the Taliban.

This is a plague on both your houses situation. The Warlords are gathered in the North and rule with an iron fist. In the south autonomous tribal areas are being raided by NATO troops and the Pakistani army. Its a no win situation.Pakistani troops, pro-Taliban forces clash

The fact is that the only time Afghanistan was stable, women were free, hospitals and schools were built and modicum of civilization was in place was under Soviet rule. Something none of the Pro War types wishes to admit. Cause that of course would force them to remove their anti-Soviet blinders and admit that from the very beginning this Mujahedin war supported by the CIA was a social failure.

The Wall Street Journal and The Workers Vanguard Agree: Both Capitalists and Communists Conclude Afghanistan Better Off Under Soviets Than Northern Alliance

That being said our volunteer working class army needs your support and Candace has provided a link to send email and aid packages to our injured soldiers in Germany. Maybe Terry, Skippy and Jim can send an email of support, rather than just blogging about it.

More on Afghanistan

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