Political Leanings of Mustachians?

[Pooperman]

So, a poll has been done which points to this forum being roughly split male/female with females having the slight edge in numbers. Got me wondering about what the political leanings of the Mustachian forum would be. My assumption is that the forum leans slightly right and fairly libertarian. I'll include definitions of what each item above stand for to help give a better choice.

The political scale breaks down like this: http://www.politicalcompass.org/analysis2

I'm going to break it down into nine categories by including "centrist" options for when someone falls close to the dividing lines. I would suggest taking the test before posting, but it's not a requirement of course!

[Clever Name]

According to their chart I am a more libertarian version of the Dalai Lama.

[babysnowbyrd]

Small poll so far, but fascinating results. I'm definitely curious to see how the numbers evolve (if they do) as more people chime in!

[Roots&Wings]

Oops, I selected before taking the test, http://www.politicalcompass.org/test.  I picked Left Centrist, but the test results shows Left Libertarian (or maybe I don't know how to read the results).  Apparently self-identifying selections may differ from the actual test results.

[HokieInPa]

I also selected before taking the poll, but the poll matched my selection of right centrist , most closely to Milton Friedman on their chart

[Spork]

I wasn't sure the questions accurately gave me a choice...  I sometimes wanted a "not applicable" or "don't care." ... and I sometimes felt like I was given a choice of "A or B?" when my choice was C.  I know that no poll is going to be perfect... just saying...

[Kriegsspiel]

I'm

[Pooperman]

Centrist Libertarian ^

[Zikoris]

Slightly left (-1.25), fairly libertarian (-4). Looks like I'm close to Nelson Mandela. Interesting. I definitely would have guessed that Mustachians trended more towards libertarianism, given how much we like autonomy and personal freedom.

[arebelspy]

I'm

[Pooperman]

For those wondering, I am:

[iris lily]

I like how this chart puts Mitt Romney and Barak Obama in practically the same spot. No kidding.

[trailrated]

I think it is interesting to see people all over the spectrum have so much in common (in this case, similar financial beliefs/practices) I guess it goes to show common ground can be found no matter what side of the aisle you are on.

[zataks]

Can't seem to get a picture to load. ...edit: there it is.

[matchewed]

I think it is interesting to see people all over the spectrum have so much in common (in this case, similar financial beliefs/practices) I guess it goes to show common ground can be found no matter what side of the aisle you are on.

I don't find it surprising, not everything is political. Many things can be construed or twisted to be so but that doesn't mean that they're inherently political.

*Edit*

It could be said that sound financial advice is apolitical.

[iris lily]

I am Libertarian left quadrant, but just barely. It's really more centrist. I had already marked the poll, without taking the test, as Libertarian Right.

My compass
Economic Left/Right: -0.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.10

[SU]

If this is true, arebelspy, matchewed and I could sit around and agree with each other about stuff.

[arebelspy]

If this is true, arebelspy, matchewed and I could sit around and agree with each other about stuff.

I agree.

[Gin1984]

Economic Left/Right: -8.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.59

[matchewed]

If this is true, arebelspy, matchewed and I could sit around and agree with each other about stuff.

I agree.

[JetBlast]

I'd taken it before and marked where I had been in the past, centrist left. After reading some of the responses I decided to retake it and I've moved more libertarian. I'm probably more libertarian left now.

[randymarsh]

[YK-Phil]

I am between Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. I should revise my retirement plans accordingly.

[Mississippi Mudstache]

I am between Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama. I should revise my retirement plans accordingly.

Me too. -2.9, -3.5. Right where I would have expected I'd land.

[bluecollarmusician]

Ya'll are all getting the same score as me....


I guess it is true then- we seek out people who validate our opinions on the internet, rather than those who challenge them.
No wonder I like it around here so much....

[dmn]

I did not expect to find such a strong leftist bias in a community concerned with capital accumulation and investment. I seem to fit in just fine:

[GreenPen]

I was put right in the middle of the green Left/Libertarian quadrant -- like a lot of readers who took that poll.

The poll was a fun exercise, and it's interesting to see where others stand. But some of the questions seem to have nothing to do with politics. And I wish the poll allowed the participant to rate the questions in order of importance, or even not answer some of them.

[matchewed]

I was put right in the middle of the green Left/Libertarian quadrant -- like a lot of readers who took that poll.

The poll was a fun exercise, and it's interesting to see where others stand. But some of the questions seem to have nothing to do with politics. And I wish the poll allowed the participant to rate the questions in order of importance, or even not answer some of them.

Well some of the questions didn't have to do with direct political thought, they had implications for tendency to have moral absolutes or a willingness to impose morality upon others. That gravitates towards the authoritarian sphere rather than the libertarian.

[RetiredAt63]

I am also with the Dalai Lama - but of course Canadians tend to be "left" in general compared to Americans in general.  Except for our beloved PM.  Interesting how Libertarian we can be given our "social welfare" state - but we don't see it as social welfare, we see it as community support of each other, done at our behest by the state.

[ascZend]

Economic Left/Right: -7.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.92

[Pooperman]

I would have thought I'd be more right economically. A couple things push me left considerably: environmentalism and general distrust of large corporate entities. Pushing me right is a sense of working if you have the ability to vs relying on external support. I guess we're all libertarian socialists. Congratulations, forum!

[PeteD01]

I'm:

[tmac]

I'm right in there with all you Left Libertarians. I would have said Left Centrist before taking the test.

[Al1961]

Picked left libertarian before taking this test - on the basis of results from a similar result from a different source.

Seems I'm right on top of Ghandi's score, so not so strongly libertarian.

[gobius]

-4.75 left, -5.90 libertarian

Almost the same as quite a few.

[MoneyCat]

I have no idea how someone can be both left and libertarian.  Aren't libertarians those guys carrying assault rifles around in Target all the time?

[Pooperman]

I have no idea how someone can be both left and libertarian.  Aren't libertarians those guys carrying assault rifles around in Target all the time?

Those people aren't Libertarians ;). They have one right they care about and you'd better agree or else (Authoritarian). Additionally, they prefer the free market decide everything (Right). These people are Right Authoritarians, not Libertarians. Libertarians are about personal freedom, the right to choose your own life, etc.

In the US, the "left"/"right" system actually sits on the y=x line where "right" is really Right Authoritarian and "left" is slightly less Right Authoritarian with the greens representing where most of us stand on the "extreme left". Sorry to those mustachians that fall more towards the y=-x line. You're either a "traditional" republican (Right Libertarian) or a communist (Left Authoritarian).

[Schaefer Light]

I'm exactly where I expected to be - right libertarian.  Guessing I would be close to Ayn Rand if they had put her on the graph.

[MooseOutFront]

I would have guessed further right on the economics stuff, but I'm getting soft in my old age.

[Artemis67]

Economic Left/Right: -5.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.49



I remember taking this test ages ago; I was deeply libertarian then, but very close to centrist on the left/right spectrum. Like Pooperman, distrust of large corporations and environmental concerns have pushed me much further left over the years.

[BuildingFrugalHabits]

Similar to Dalai Lama and many others here in Mustache Land.  I took this a couple years ago and got identical results so good repeatability.

[Mississippi Mudstache]

Ya'll are all getting the same score as me....


I guess it is true then- we seek out people who validate our opinions on the internet, rather than those who challenge them.
No wonder I like it around here so much....

On the contrary, I've gravitated strongly toward the left over several years, but especially since reading this blog and joining the forum. I used to be a hard core Republican, but I've realized that I was simply parroting my dad's political views and not making up my own mind. I have environmental and social views (particularly with regard to health care, and the fact that a country as wealthy as ours doesn't consider it a basic human right) that pull me to the left.

[PeteD01]

No surprises here.
The green quadrant represents attitudes formed by rational assessment of reality and the the other three reflect attitudes in need of some examination.
Interestingly, the combined actions of politicians in power in liberal democracies, over the last hundred years or so, (yes, the US is a liberal democracy) put them into the green quadrant.
An interesting paradox, considering how the electorate feels about things.

[senecando]

I have no idea how someone can be both left and libertarian.  Aren't libertarians those guys carrying assault rifles around in Target all the time?

One way to describe left libertarians is as libertarians who see large corporations as largely a product of the state. Or, alternatively, they are libertarians who think the most egregious problems with the state are the ones that routinely fuck over the poor. Or they are liberals who are more loose-y goose-y, with less emphasis on Fairness/cheating and Authority/subversion and more on Liberty/opression, to use Haidt's lingo.

[Davin]

I thought I was turning Authoritarian in my old age, apparently not. This chart position is probably more surprising to me than those who have already posted their own.
 
Economic Left/Right: -8.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.46

[swiper]

No surprise for me

Economic Left/Right: -3.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.26

[Cressida]

I'd have thought I'd be left-er. Either I'm more cynical than I thought, or they didn't ask questions about my personal bugaboos.

[Spork]

I like how this chart puts Mitt Romney and Barak Obama in practically the same spot. No kidding.

This is really true, though.  That was my argument in the last election.  I've seen quite a few breakdowns on this that support it.

[Spork]

I have no idea how someone can be both left and libertarian.  Aren't libertarians those guys carrying assault rifles around in Target all the time?

To quote Penn Jillette (as best as I remember).  Libertarian is basically taking a left turn on questions of sex and a right turn on questions of money.  While thats an oversimplification, being libertarian is, more often than not, having a set of views that are often comprised of some extreme left views and some extreme right views.

[Jack]

Left libertarian here -- as I knew most of us would be before I even voted or scrolled down the thread.

I'm a little worried; I turned out more centrist than I expected.

I have no idea how someone can be both left and libertarian.  Aren't libertarians those guys carrying assault rifles around in Target all the time?

Those people aren't Libertarians ;). They have one right they care about and you'd better agree or else (Authoritarian). Additionally, they prefer the free market decide everything (Right). These people are Right Authoritarians, not Libertarians. Libertarians are about personal freedom, the right to choose your own life, etc.

In the US, the "left"/"right" system actually sits on the y=x line where "right" is really Right Authoritarian and "left" is slightly less Right Authoritarian with the greens representing where most of us stand on the "extreme left". Sorry to those mustachians that fall more towards the y=-x line. You're either a "traditional" republican (Right Libertarian) or a communist (Left Authoritarian).

This is why so many people in this country feel disenfranchised and/or pissed off at the government: they want to vote "left libertarian" (or maybe "right libertarian"), but both major parties are authoritarian.

It doesn't help that the entire "right vs left" terminology the media uses obscures the issue, since (as this topic shows) political views cannot be expressed on only one axis.

The correct answer to the question "are you liberal or conservative?" is always "fuck off, you ignorant tool of the establishment!" regardless of what your ideology actually is.