Saturday, April 12, 2014

Political Self Awareness

Where do you see yourself on the following graphics?

G2A Right, Left, Up or Down
G2A More Nolan Diagrams
Nathan Kleffman: Source of following graphic:
My beliefs land somewhere between Classical Liberalism and Modern Conservatism
based on the Nolan tests and the theater questions (see below)


G2A Perspective and Relativity - Source of following graphic
One way to determine where you are sitting is to consider the following:
  • How many people are to the Right of me? (ie more Conservative)
  • How many are to the Left of me? (ie more Liberal)
  • Do you see Mother Jones as an "unbiased news source" and do you rarely argue with someone for being "too Liberal or Socialistic", you are likely seated in the Liberal seats.
  • Do you see Rush Limbaugh as an "unbiased news source" and do you rarely argue with someone for being "too Conservative or Capitalistic", you are likely seated in the Conservative seats.
Knowing one's seat location is important if you truly want to be Politically Self Aware.  The seat location influences what you see and do not see.  Also, please note that people sitting on the far right and left can be watching the same play and see very different things.  So beliefs and statements may vary considerably from your own, while being very honest and forthright.


G2A Political Continuum - Source of following graphic
Note: Current US Total Government spend has climb to ~38% of GDP.  Most of the growth being in the area of entitlements.
If you want the government controlled spend to hit 45+% of our GDP, you are likely a Liberal.  If you think it should be cut back to 25%, you are very likely a Conservative.  I would like to get the spend back to about 33%, that would leave 2/3rds for people to use as they wish.


Thoughts?

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is the creation of rules a limitation of freedom? Are we less free because there is a rule against murder?

Is an entrepreneur who is able to leave a job and start a new business, made less free by having access to affordable health care which enables that choice?

--Hiram

John said...

Personally I believe that is why the Nolan diagram has 2 components. Economic vs social freedom.

Yes the creation of rules limits the freedoms of individuals. However it may improve the quality of life in our society. That is why it is important that we carefully evaluate the "freedom tradeoffs" before passing or maintaining rules.

If the "affordable healthcare" of the individual comes at the cost of extra taxes charged to other citizens and/or "healthcare limits" being forced upon other citizens. It seems we are sliding down and to the left on the Nolan diagram.

John said...

To me it seems that laws and rules in a democratic society are simply a way to define the "social norms" in that society. And over time those norms shift and evolve.

Abortion was illegal at one time because "stopping a human heart" for the convenience and freedom of the Mother was considered murder. Now the social norm is that the Mother's convenience and freedom trumps the rights of that human attached to that beating heart. This is likely to re-evaluated many times in the future as social norms shift.

John said...

Another chart, the Pournelle chart.
WM Briggs: Nolan vs Pournelle

Anonymous said...

Yes the creation of rules limits the freedoms of individuals.

So that raises the question, is freedom a good thing or a bad thing? Is it good or bad to limit the freedom to murder?

--Hiram

Unknown said...

How much freedom does a homeless person have, like freedom to eat and freedom to have a warm, safe place to sleep.

Four Freedoms

Unknown said...

The left has no equivalent of Rush and the right has little equivalence to the many left leaning publications. Here is my go to reading list for when I am bored:

Mother Jones
American Prospect
Slate
Salon
TNR
Atlantic
The Nation
Huffington Post
and
Talking Points Memo, which is a blog rather than publication.

On the right:
National Review
Wall Street Journal

Why does the right have so few publications or maybe I just don't know about those that do exist. Maybe the truth/reality is left leaning:)

John said...

Freedom usually isn't "Free", let's see where this Freedom goes.
Wiki Freedom from Want

And of course you can not see a Rush on the "Left". All those players are sitting right in front of your seat... I would say that Daily Kos and the MN Progressive Project folks are as far to the Left as Rush is to the Right.

John said...

Wiki Right to Work
Wiki Refusal to Work
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act

John said...

I guess based on my research, I think certain obligations are inherent in the "Freedom from Want" concept. Those being that the people need to be willing to join society, actively strive to work, and improve themselves and the country.

No one can "Refuse to Work" while claiming the "Freedom from Want". Otherwise they are violating the Right to Propoerty by taking money from others while providing nothing of value.

And yes society should help with the truly disabled. Those who are truly too physically or mentally incapacitated to do any job.

I think many of the homeless could work a broom and dustpan like the poor in China, so let's have them keep America beautiful in exchange for their benefits.

John said...

Is freedom a good thing or a bad thing?
I personally think it is good thing and that any "legislative ties" should fall that direction. That's apparently why I am above the horizontal center line of the Nolan diagram. I don't want government to protect some by limiting the freedom of the many.

Personally I think the Nolan diagram I chose shows the current DFL and GOP too high on the diagram. To me both seem happy too use the government to mandate "proper behavior" in one way or another. Often at the expense of some group of citizen's freedom.

Is it good or bad to limit the freedom to murder? Both. Sometimes vengeance may be warranted, however it is probably wiser to leave this to the court. Then there are folks who still are against executions as a fitting court ordered punishment. Very complicated.

An even more gray zone is pornography and prositution. Apparently it is legal to pay for sex as long as someone is filming. And many people who demand personal freedom and empowerment for women, are against legalizing prostitution and allowing women the freedom to choose that very old profession. Even when licensing and legalizing it may keep some women safer, and it likely would pay a lot more than minimum wage..

Balancing "freedoms" is a full time job...

John said...

Laurie, Google provided these additional "Conservative" leaning publications. Maybe there is actually an obstruction on the stage that keeps people from seeing the actors on the other side.
Conservative Publications
Wiki Conservative Publications
FR Best Conservative String

John said...

Wiki Liberal Magazines

jerrye92002 said...

"And yes society should help with the truly disabled. Those who are truly too physically or mentally incapacitated to do any job."

I deny there are more than a handful of such people. Everybody can do SOMETHING; perhaps not enough to pay their own way, but something to maintain their human dignity and self-worth.

I don't see myself anywhere on your scale. I count myself among the "compassionate common sense" party.

John said...

I figured you were located around the elephant's front foot...

jerrye92002 said...

Yes. Always "best foot forward."

John said...

Now that is cute...

jerrye92002 said...

"Cute"? I guess it is true: "The world's your oyster when you have naturally curly hair." -- Sally Brown