What Am I?

[Gravdigr]

What's right? What's left? What's liberal? What's conservative? I'm happy to say I don't know. And that's no accident. I have purposely avoided left/right/liberal/conservative labels all my thinking life.

I am going to make a few statements on my thoughts and beliefs. Please comment on whether the statement leans left or right. Liberal or conservative. And label the group of statements, as a whole, left/right/liberal/conservative.

I will not go off on anybody, argue, tell you you're stupid or any of that shit. I promise.

Now, you guys, y'all can argue all ya want.

1. I think G.W. Bush was not the greatest president he might have been, but, I thank God that Al Gore was not our president on Sept. 11. I think we would have had thousands more dead Americans by now if he had been.

2. I think all high school grads/eighteen-year-olds should do a mandatory two year turn in the military.

3. I think marijuana should as legal as cigarettes/booze.

4. While a friendly regime is always preferable, I don't think who is in charge of {insert Middle-East country here} is really any of our business.

5. I think if you're a country, and you got the minds to produce nuclear weapons, or nuclear energy, the rest of the world should either bomb you out of existence, or STFU.

6. I don't think it matters who the President is, or what color, for that matter. The office of the POTUS is nothing more than a mouthpiece for the group of CEOs and board chairmen that actually run this country. (I know this contradicts statement #1, sue me.)

7. I'm not sure there is a God. I'm not sure there's not a God. But, I do believe more people have been killed over religion than by all the diseases and accidents in history.

8. I don't think having a felony conviction should prevent you from working anywhere but a bank, or a school.

9. I know there are situations, but, I am not a fan of bankruptcy.

10. I think the plaintiffs in stupid 'hot-coffee-in-my-lap'-type lawsuits should have to give half of their award to charity.

11. I think guns are cool.

12. I think the tax rate ought to be 30% flat rate across the board for every man woman and company, no matter how big.

13. I think we should only import items/goods into this country if no one here makes it.

14. I think if you're a company that exports goods to the US, you should have to have a factory(s) here.

15. I think this is as good a place as any to STFU.

So, am I right? Left? Liberal? Conservative? Need more info, just ask.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

So, am I right? Left? Liberal? Conservative?

Yes

[piercehawkeye45]

Someone who doesn't need an ideology. That's the way to go.

[monster]

fucked.

[ZenGum]

You're just a good ole boy,
Never meanin' no harm ...

[Spexxvet]

I'll play.

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

1. I think G.W. Bush was not the greatest president he might have been, but, I thank God that Al Gore was not our president on Sept. 11. I think we would have had thousands more dead Americans by now if he had been.

Conservative. You have an opinion that cannot be proved either way, but since you believe a repubican would have done better, I would call that a conservative opinion.

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

2. I think all high school grads/eighteen-year-olds should do a mandatory two year turn in the military.

Liberal.

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

3. I think marijuana should as legal as cigarettes/booze.

Liberal.

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

4. While a friendly regime is always preferable, I don't think who is in charge of {insert Middle-East country here} is really any of our business.

Liberal.

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

5. I think if you're a country, and you got the minds to produce nuclear weapons, or nuclear energy, the rest of the world should either bomb you out of existence, or STFU.

Conservative.

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

6. I don't think it matters who the President is, or what color, for that matter. The office of the POTUS is nothing more than a mouthpiece for the group of CEOs and board chairmen that actually run this country. (I know this contradicts statement #1, sue me.)

Conservative.

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

7. I'm not sure there is a God. I'm not sure there's not a God. But, I do believe more people have been killed over religion than by all the diseases and accidents in history.

Liberal.

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

8. I don't think having a felony conviction should prevent you from working anywhere but a bank, or a school.

Liberal.

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

9. I know there are situations, but, I am not a fan of bankruptcy.

Conservative.

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

10. I think the plaintiffs in stupid 'hot-coffee-in-my-lap'-type lawsuits should have to give half of their award to charity.

Thinking that some lawsuits are stupid or frivolous = conservative. Giving to charity = Liberal.

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

11. I think guns are cool.

Gay : conservative

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

12. I think the tax rate ought to be 30% flat rate across the board for every man woman and company, no matter how big.

30%=Liberal. Flat tax=conservative.

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

13. I think we should only import items/goods into this country if no one here makes it.

Liberal.

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

14. I think if you're a company that exports goods to the US, you should have to have a factory(s) here.

Liberal.

[DanaC]

Compulsory military service is a 'liberal' view??

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by DanaC

Compulsory military service is a 'liberal' view??

Oops! In my mind, I thought "service", like Peace Corp. I'm not sure that compulsory military service is a conservative view, either. That's a tricky one.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by DanaC

Compulsory military service is a 'liberal' view??

Yes, because it is the slightly sluttier sister of free healthcare for all citizens.

[footfootfoot]

My dad used to say "A liberal is only a conservative who hasn't been mugged yet."

For what it's worth.

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

My dad used to say "A liberal is only a conservative who hasn't been mugged yet."

For what it's worth.

My dad used to say "a conservative is only a liberal who hasn't been persecuted for not being christian, falsely detained and tortured, and kept in the underclass yet."

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by Spexxvet

My dad used to say "a conservative is only a liberal who hasn't been persecuted for not being christian, falsely detained and tortured, and kept in the underclass yet."

"And forced to bear a child that she didn't want, and prohibited from marrying anyone (s)he wants"

[classicman]

Originally Posted by spexx

Thinking that some lawsuits are stupid or frivolous = conservative. Giving to charity = Liberal.

Most of what I've experienced has been contrary to that. I did a quick Google and found a few links which all seemed to say the same thing -

-- Although liberal families' incomes average 6 percent higher than those of conservative families, conservative-headed households give, on average, 30 percent more to charity than the average liberal-headed household ($1,600 per year vs. $1,227).

-- Conservatives also donate more time and give more blood.

Although the stats are from a few years ago, I would say they are probably still relatively accurate. Its about an even split with conservatives getting a slight edge.
I've been volunteering for a long time now and most of the people are not what I expected. I was surprised to find such a mix of young/old, wealthy/average, male/female... there were far more religious than not, but that is because they come as groups from their churches and (I think) skews the numbers.

[classicman]

Gravdigr - I'd say your pretty much in the middle of things.
Did you try taking the Political Compass quiz

[DanaC]

The religious aspect probably skews the liberal-conservative ratio as well.