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May 14, 2008 in Views To Consider

LIBERALS usually embrace freedom of choice in personal matters, but tend to support significant government control of the economy. They generally support a government-funded “safety net” to help the disadvantaged, and advocate strict regulation of business. Liberals tend to favor environmental regulations,defend civil liberties and free expression, support government action to promote equality, and tolerate diverse lifestyles.

Take the test.

May 2008
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20 comments

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May 15, 2008 at 8:31 am

Godfather

Great Post!

Godfather (theslowbleed.com)

May 15, 2008 at 9:54 am

Karen Hopper

Interesting test. I am not quite where I thought I was. It was an eye opener.

May 15, 2008 at 11:10 am

helenl

Hi Godfather, Welcome to my blog.

Hi Karen, I think these tests are good in that they remind us things aren’t so black and white as we think. Often we have contradictory views. And if we do, so does everyone else. We’re all pretty human after all.

May 15, 2008 at 4:22 pm

renaissanceguy

I’m a Libertarian.

If the quesions had been phrased better, I would have probably been a Conservative but near the Libertarian quadrant.

May 15, 2008 at 4:38 pm

helenl

Hi RG, I’d be a Libertarian, if we’d do something about the poor. Less government is cool, if we have a level playing field. Less taxes are great, if everyone eats. I just see the losers as children and the elderly. I don’t like that. But why is it the government’s business what we do in our own homes? And why can’t gay people get married and share benefits in 50 states? . . .

May 15, 2008 at 4:59 pm

Jay Burns

I agree with RGuy on the phrasing of the questions, but still a great test all in all. When it comes to the poor Helen our basic disagreement seems to me that I believe people can help themselves (in most cases). You on the other hand believe that the poor are unable to help themselves. I believe the solution is with in them, you believe the solution is with in the government.

May 15, 2008 at 5:16 pm

renaissanceguy

Jay,

Let’s add that those who are poor and need help should get it from private individuals and charitable agencies. Libertarians don’t see anything wrong with voluntary assistance to those in need. They do see something wrong with forcing people to support others against their will and with simply giving money away when it is not always in people’s best interest to do so.

Helen, there simply can’t be a level playing field. That’s nonsense. Some people are smarter, others are prettier, others are more talented in sports or music. Some people are more clever at selling, while other people are more clever in inventing new things. Some people are highly energetic, while others are more lethargic. That’s just life.

Children and the elderly should not have to lose. Ther families should be forced to take care of them. Only people with absolutely no other resources should become wards of the state. Better for them if a private charity takes on their support.

It’s generally not the government’s business what we do in our homes–within certain guidelines, of course. Anything that harms another should not be legal even in private.

Well, of course “married” in the Bible means a convenant between a man and a woman. If certain churches want to recognize same-sex marriage, then they should go for it. As long as “we the people” decide, and not a court, I’m willing to accept same-sex civil unions–though reluctantly.

May 15, 2008 at 5:17 pm

renaissanceguy

Obviously I was addressing most of my comment above to Helen.

May 15, 2008 at 5:59 pm

helenl

Okay Guys, I’ll write better questions next time. LOL What about the military question. I had to go with voluntary, but I really don’t think we should have one period. I know you probably love it, Jay. It’s a”blood sport,” too. HA!

I don’t know how you fellows think poor children can take care of themselves. If their parents can’t (or won’t) see to it they eat, how can they learn and be ready to take care of themselves in adulthood? Feeding kids at school makes good sense to me. They are American children. We are Americans. They are OUR children. Same for the elderly, who already worked and struggled and now have sky-high medical bills. Better medicine keeps people alive longer. And live people need to eat.

As for leveling the playing field, RG, literally, you are right. But stupid, ugly people should be able to have life’s necessities (food, clothing, a dry warm bed). I don’t favor buying them fancy speed boats. The US government wastes enough money to serve them steak every other Friday without raising taxes one bit. The Army, the Coast Guard, and several other branches of the military support NASCAR. Huh? We all know “Uncle Sam Wants Us.” Just put the number in the Yellow pages. Wouldn’t that be cheaper? Don’t raise taxes; redistribute what’s already been paid.

And as for taxes, I think most people (individuals) pay enough. It’s huge corporations that ought to pay more. If your business can fund a NASCAR team (Home Depot and Budweiser do), you are making too much money. Anyone who’s a philanthropist is too rich. Giving is fine, but a special name because you’re so generous? Yeah, right!

The US isn’t a Bible land. And Plessy v, Ferguson should have shown us that separate isn’t equal. “Married” it should be. Logistics ain’t my problem.

And RG, you are 100% right that nothing that harms others should be allowed even in private. No one should have the right to hurt another person.

May 15, 2008 at 6:42 pm

renaissanceguy

Helen, did you write the test? If so, you really did a good job. My main problem was that I couldn’t clarify my answers, and some of them were to broad to give a simple answer to. For a short test, it’s quite good.

It’s nice to think we don’t need a military, but I think the Jews from Auschwitz and other concentration camps are glad that we did. I’m a semi-pacifist, so I understand somewhat where you are coming from. I certainly believe that war should be a last resort, and that sometimes NOT defending people is definitely worse than intervening.

As much as possible, the military should be voluntary. If it becomes absolutely necessary to recruit new personnel, then a draft has to be used as a last resort.

Helen, I believe you are old enough to understand the concept of taking care of one’s own family. I have three children, and believe me, it’s a struggle to take care of them. It’s not my responsibility to take care of someone else’s children. They are not MY children. I did not decide to have them. I think we let people off way to easy, especially deadbeat dads. Make them pay, I say. If they won’t make their relatives pay. I have parents, and I will accept responsibility for them if and when they cannot take care of themselves. I expect everyone else to do the same, and I expect my children to do the same for me.

Now, if you will read carefully what I wrote, I was not suggesting that we ignore the plight of those who have no resources at all. Private charities, such as chuches and aid agencies, should take care of them and should be supported by voluntary donations. If the government wants to spoonsor a voluntary fund for the poor, I would support that, too. Whatever is done should not be extravagant. I have been really poor before, and it was a good incentive to study and to work.

Helen, stupid, ugly people need to work harder. They should not use their lack of smarts or attractiveness as an excuse for living off the work of others.

You and I completely agree about waste. It is HORRENDOUS. I wish I had the power to root it out myself. However, I wouldn’t use the savings to buy steak for indigent people. I would use it to pay off our debt.

It’s all well and good to say that huge corporations should pay more in taxes, but don’t forget that many ordinary working people have retirement funds that include stock in those corporations. My retirement fund does, and I’d like to see it keep growing, thank you very much. And what is the fundamental basis for saying that they should be taxed? Because they have money? Then why shouldn’t I steal my neighbor’s TV since he has two? Same logic.

Plessy v. Fergusson has nothing to do with people who identify themselves as gay, lesbian, or any other term for non-normative sexual behavior. It was about the arbitrary trait of skin color. The point is that black people are people and deserve the same rights as any other people. That’s not the same thing as saying marriage can be defined in some other way just because somebody wants it to be so.

May 15, 2008 at 8:18 pm

helenl

No, I didn’t write this test.

But I see people over money any time. Food for indigent people over paying off the debt.

May 15, 2008 at 10:42 pm

renaissanceguy

Fine. Give them yours. Nobody has the right to give them mine.

[I'm actually in a bracket where I pay almost no tax, and then our wonderful government sends me the Earned Income Credit. So it could be that you have helped feed my family.]

May 16, 2008 at 12:44 am

Jay Burns

RGuy,

How can this be, conservatives, or in this case Libertarians are all supposed to be rich white guys who are so cruel that they don’t want to give away a few dollars of their precious millions to feed a few starving beggars.

May 16, 2008 at 9:29 am

helenl

Yes, RG, there’s time to change party affiliation before November.

May 17, 2008 at 12:16 am

You Wouldn’t Take My Money In Person, Would You? « Significant Pursuit by Renaissance Guy

[...] 16, 2008 · No Comments I had an interesting blog discussion with Helen of Windows Toward the World. Helen has great concern for poor children and for the elderly. I admire her for being [...]

May 17, 2008 at 1:47 am

Jana

I was in the upper left corner of the “centrist” square.
My PERSONAL issues Score is 60%.
My ECONOMIC issues Score is 50%.
Hey, Helen, we aren’t too far apart. What I already knew!

May 17, 2008 at 1:54 am

Brian Allard

I was in the center of the centrist box but as far left as one can go without going into the left box. Does that really surprise you tho?

May 17, 2008 at 11:04 am

helenl

Hi Jana and Brian, Your scores don’t surprise me. Thanks for dropping by.

May 17, 2008 at 11:07 am

Shirley

Helen, love this post.

Probably no surprise to anyone who knows me, and certainly as no surprise to myself, the test labeled me as a conservative–up at the top, very near to the libertarian section.

As with the others, I found it difficult to answer some of the questions–needed more “wiggle room.”

Thanks for sharing this.

May 17, 2008 at 11:15 am

helenl

Hi Shirley, Glad you dropped by. And I’m with you about the “wiggle room.” Especially with respect to the military. I got this test from Bookworm, but it didn’t really take off there. A couple of sites have gotten it from me.

One good things about this test: it is short.

And, you can capture your results without a degree in computer science.

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