Alex Peak

The Political Compass

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My Answers

Page 1 of 6 If economic globalisation is inevitable, it should primarily serve humanity rather than the interests of trans-national corporations. (I disagree because of the way the question is worded. I believe the interests of each can be mutually served, and hence the word “rather” made this disagreeable.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree I'd always support my country, whether it was right or wrong. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree No one chooses his or her country of birth, so it's foolish to be proud of it. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Our race has many superior qualities, compared with other races. (Our culture is far superior to many cultures, but race is irrelevant to this.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Military action that defies international law is sometimes justified. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree There is now a worrying fusion of information and entertainment. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

Page 2 of 6 People are ultimately divided more by class than by nationality. (One class are the politicians, bureaucrats, and neo-mercantilists.  The other class are the taxed, the regulated, the controlled.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Controlling inflation is more important than controlling unemployment. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Because corporations cannot be trusted to voluntarily protect the environment, they require regulation. (Regulation by the free market.  They must not infringe upon the property rights of others, and that includes pollution of the land and air of others.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need" is a fundamentally good idea. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree It's a sad reflection on our society that something as basic as drinking water is now a bottled, branded consumer product. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Land shouldn't be a commodity to be bought and sold. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree It is regrettable that many personal fortunes are made by people who simply manipulate money and contribute nothing to their society. (Politicians and the Federal Reserve.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Protectionism is sometimes necessary in trade. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree The only social responsibility of a company should be to deliver a profit to its shareholders. (It has the responsibility to not murder, rape, physically assault, steal from, defraud, or cause damage to the property of anyone, except where the person has consented to these acts being committed to him- or herself.  In other words, businesses, which are nothing more than a corporation of people working toward a specific goal, possesses all the same responsibilities and rights as are held by the individuals therein.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree The rich are too highly taxed. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Those with the ability to pay should have the right to higher standards of medical care. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Governments should penalise businesses that mislead the public. (Yes, fraud is initiatory force, and initiatory force is a violation of the non-aggression axiom.  This is not, of course, a statement of approval for the existence of the state; in the absence of the state, fraud would still be punished.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree A genuine free market requires restrictions on the ability of predator multinationals to create monopolies. (A genuine free market has systemic restrictions on monopolies built in.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree The freer the market, the freer the people. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

Page 3 of 6 Abortion, when the woman's life is not threatened, should always be illegal. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree All authority should be questioned. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. (I don’t understand the question.  Are you asking if that’s ethical, or moral?  I think it’s ethical but question whether it’s moral.  People ought always have the right to, but that doesn’t always make it wise.  Vague questions like this make this a very unreliable, very flawed quiz.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Taxpayers should not be expected to prop up any theatres or museums that cannot survive on a commercial basis. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Schools should not make classroom attendance compulsory. (But each private school should be free to choose its own policy.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree All people have their rights, but it is better for all of us that different sorts of people should keep to their own kind. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Good parents sometimes have to spank their children. (I guess…?) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree It's natural for children to keep some secrets from their parents. (I guess…?) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Marijuana should be legalised. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree The prime function of schooling should be to equip the future generation to find jobs. (I guess…?) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree People with serious inheritable disabilities should not be allowed to reproduce. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree The most important thing for children to learn is to accept discipline. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree There are no savage and civilised peoples; there are only different cultures. (Again, I don’t know what you’re asking.  I definitely believe there are savage cultures, and civilised cultures.  Any culture that permits the murder of innocent women for showing skin is savage.  But, I don’t think there are savage peoples, just that they grow up in and learn to accept as just the savagery they see around them.  They are wrong to do so, but there’s nothing inherent in their genes which make their cultures savage.  If you mean one way, I strongly agree; if the other, I strongly disagree.  This is, it appears, a trick question, and thus makes this quiz extremely unreliable.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Those who are able to work, and refuse the opportunity, should not expect society's support. (If you can work and choose not to, and someone is willing to pay for your existence nevertheless, good for you.  But it’s never wise to expect such support.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree When you are troubled, it's better not to think about it, but to keep busy with more cheerful things. (I fail to see how this question is even applicable on a political quiz.  How can anybody take this quiz seriously?) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree First-generation immigrants can never be fully integrated within their new country. (Who cares either way?) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree What's good for the most successful corporations is always, ultimately, good for all of us. (Neo-mercantilism is good for Big Business, and bad for virtually everyone else.  What we need is a fully free market—this is not always best for certain businesses.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree No broadcasting institution, however independent its content, should receive public funding. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

Page 4 of 6 Our civil liberties are being excessively curbed in the name of counter-terrorism. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree A significant advantage of a one-party state is that it avoids all the arguments that delay progress in a democratic political system. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Although the electronic age makes official surveillance easier, only wrongdoers need to be worried. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree The death penalty should be an option for the most serious crimes. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree In a civilised society, one must always have people above to be obeyed and people below to be commanded. (Again, it depends upon what you mean.  In a genuinely free society, “authority” still exists, however it’s not binding (at least as it deals with leaders and followers).  Although I may be your worker, I am free to leave at any time and even set up a business to compete with you.  I do not believe it’s practical or technically even possible to abolish “authority,” but neither is it practical to make authority binding.  What differentiates some authority from other authority is, in a word, justice.  If I impose my “authority” upon you, this is unjust and authoritarian.  However, if you come to me and ask me to lead you in some venture, how am I unjust to accept that which you willingly grant without threat of coercion?  As long as I do not use or threaten to use any force to keep you under my “command,” I am still treating you justly.  The moment I begin using any form of aggression, I have ceased being merely a leader and begun being a ruler; this is clearly unjust, authoritarian, and possessing no place in a free society.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Abstract art that doesn't represent anything shouldn't be considered art at all. (This question is completely apolitical, and should in no way be included in this quiz.  I find this quiz extremely biased.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree In criminal justice, punishment should be more important than rehabilitation. (The focus should be on restitution, i.e. restoring to the offended party his/her/their property, or making the offending party compensate the offended party for his/her/their loss.  The question of punishment or rehabilitation should be left up to the offended party.  This could also be decided through market functions—the offended party hires the police agency that offers what he/she/they consider the better alternative and, like an insurance company, the police force pays for the imprisonment or rehabilitation.  Drug use should neither compel one to be punished nor “rehabilitated,” as it is not a real crime.  This quiz forces me to answer “agree” or “disagree” against my best judgment, and therefore makes this quiz less reliable.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree It is a waste of time to try to rehabilitate some criminals. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree The businessperson and the manufacturer are more important than the writer and the artist. (The free market makes room for each of these, and does not assign that one is more “important” than another.  This quiz question completely ignores the Subjective Theory of Value.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Mothers may have careers, but their first duty is to be homemakers. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Multinational companies are unethically exploiting the plant genetic resources of developing countries. (It depends on the instance, but I know that some companies use the coercion of various governments to unethically exploit people in a way they would be unable to do so in a free market.  One business has even been granted a monopoly by a government on rain water.  I can think of nothing more antithetical to the free market than that.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Making peace with the establishment is an important aspect of maturity. (Quite the inverse.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

Page 5 of 6 Astrology accurately explains many things. (Now, how is this political?  Again, this quiz is highly biased.) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree You cannot be moral without being religious. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Charity is better than social security as a means of helping the genuinely disadvantaged. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Some people are naturally unlucky. (If you mean that something magical called “luck” exists and is shared unequally around there world, then no.  But if you mean that sometimes bad things happen to good people, then of course yes.  The problem with this quiz is that I don’t know what you’re really asking, or how it relates to politics.  This is chuck full of vague questions, trick questions, and apolitical questions.  This one is, in fact, all three!) Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree It is important that my child's school instills religious values. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

Page 6 of 6 Sex outside marriage is usually immoral. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree A same sex couple in a stable, loving relationship, should not be excluded from the possibility of child adoption. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree Pornography, depicting consenting adults, should be legal for the adult population. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree What goes on in a private bedroom between consenting adults is no business of the state. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree No one can feel naturally homosexual. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree It's fine for society to be open about sex, but these days it's going too far. Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

My Results According to the Quiz-makers

My political compass Economic Left/Right: 3.75 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.79 Authoritarian Left Right Libertarian

My Results According to Me

My political compass Economic Left/Right: 10 Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -10 Authoritarian Left Right Libertarian

Further Analysis

Here’s how badly this quiz is biased.  I have recently (2007) become an anarcho-capitalist, and answered each of these questions in a manner with which a typical anarcho-capitalist should have no problem agreeing.  Yet the quiz fails to see any difference between state capitalism and free-market “capitalism,” and thus when a person gives an answer consistent with free-market “capitalism,” the quiz interprets it arbitrarily.  Sometimes, it will see the free-market “capitalist” response as deserving to be closer to the right end of the spectrum, sometimes closer to the left.  Is free-market “capitalism” closer to state communism than state capitalism?  I think not, yet the quiz says yes.

Even when I was a minarchist (i.e. an advocate of limited government), the quiz still never adequately placed me.  It has, indeed, too many trick questions, apolitical questions, and vague questions to be truly adequate.

With regard to the 2008 Presidential Primary, the quiz-makers have devised this map:

As you can see, is places the two best candidates, Ron Paul (R) and Mike Gravel (D), quite a distance from one another.  These are the two best non-third-party candidates running, yet neither are placed in the libertarian “capitalist” quadrant.  Then they have the gull of placing Hillary Clinton (D), the worst candidate running under either major party, close to Ron Paul, the best candidate running in either major party.

Finally, this quiz places “capitalism” on the right side of the graph, where the free market does not truly belong.  But that is a minor point to be made in comparison to the rest of the points, for wherever you arbitrarily place free-market “capitalism,” this quiz invariably still makes a mockery of the notion of a two-dimensional political spectrum, a notion which is rather needed in my opinion, and thus of which a mockery ought not be made.

In summation, this is one of the worst political quizzes I’ve ever taken.

Addendum

I no longer feel comfortable calling myself an anarcho-capitalist, primarily because I would prefer to see worker-owned firms outcompete capitalist-owned firms and thus, through non-aggressive activity, completely displace capitalism.  Therefore, I feel more comfortable calling myself a market anarchist or individualist anarchist.  In any event, I would not make any substantial changes to my responses above, and still believe this quiz is rather uninformative.  As far as political quizzes go, I still believe Politopia is a much better source.