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Forums - General - What is your political party

gergroy on 20 July 2009

hmmm, this seems about right for me :)

Economic Left/Right: -2.62
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.08

Centrist that leans a little left, yep.



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pearljammer on 20 July 2009

 

Firstly, I acknowledge the faults of the quiz and that our intent shouldn't be to take it so concretely. I mean, many statements are of questionable validity and the quiz itself is hardly comprehensive. Let alone the fact that some issues overlap, making the 2-dimensional graph somewhat useless - e.g. some green conservatives may vouch for environmental regulations on businesses

Having said that, I must say that I'm a bit surprised to find myself so far left-leaning on the economic axis. There were several questions where I was either indifferent or torn and struggled to provide an answer and simply settled for an agree or a disagree and may have caused a slight shift to either side - apparently more of them to the left than those to the right.

Typically, I would consider myself only slightly left of centre on economic issues (perhaps nearer to Dtewi or Farmland). Not near as far as what these results would indicate... I know, I know... Don't let the quiz tell me where I stand politically... I'm just curious if many others felt that their results were noticably off the mark?



Kasz216 on 20 July 2009
Sqrl said:
SamuelRSmith said:
Eh, I'll just copy and paste something I wrote on drugs:

The use of drugs should never result in a prison sentence or a fine; instead if someone is caught with drugs for personal use, then that person should only be offered rehabilitation. Parents of young children will have to go through rehabilitation, or risk losing their child, whilst everyone else will retain the rights to reject the rehab offered.

Similar schemes have been introduced in Portugal, and it has had many staggering results:

- Rehabilitation was found to be cheaper than incarceration.
- Illegal drug use amongst teens has decreased.
- The number of HIV cases caused by sharing dirty needles decreased.
- The number of people seeking help for their drug problem doubled.
- Deaths related to heroin and other drugs more than halved.

These are the results of drug use becoming less of a taboo (which makes “rebellious” teens less likely to start), and so people stopped using them underground, and society became far more open to drugs.

Actually that is a big part of the problem, drugs aren't seen as taboo by the people who get involved with them.  For most it is a way to fit in and belong to a group.  From a social engineering standpoint (a field I'm not overly fond of but whatever) the ideal would be for drug use to be something that would alienate you from a group not help to fit in.

A great example I can think of, and maybe this was a regional thing, but in my area it used to be really popular and "cool" to have a beeper when they were prevalent...but when cell phones started taking over it was "pshaw...you still use a beeper?".  Granted beepers aren't addictive but today nobody even considers buying a beeper ..the point being that if you don't ever get it you can't get hooked.  Perhaps a bit of a convoluted example but again..whatever =P

There are other types of users of course, those who want an escape for example, but in their case the drug use is a symptom and not a cause so addressing it requires a different approach.

As for the plan you present I agree rehabilitation is far and away the best choice with "drug crimes".  But people have to want help or it does absolutely no good.  At the very least it would be a large step in the right direction though.

Ah but look at cigarrettes.

Cigarrettes "used" to be cool.

But slowley do to all their negative effects have been villinized by the public at large.

Cigarrettes are really only cool with one group now.

Kids under 18. 



fmc83 on 20 July 2009
pearljammer said:

 

 

Firstly, I acknowledge the faults of the quiz and that our intent shouldn't be to take it so concretely. I mean, many statements are of questionable validity and the quiz itself is hardly comprehensive. Let alone the fact that some issues overlap, making the 2-dimensional graph somewhat useless - e.g. some green conservatives may vouch for environmental regulations on businesses

Having said that, I must say that I'm a bit surprised to find myself so far left-leaning on the economic axis. There were several questions where I was either indifferent or torn and struggled to provide an answer and simply settled for an agree or a disagree and may have caused a slight shift to either side - apparently more of them to the left than those to the right.

Typically, I would consider myself only slightly left of centre on economic issues (perhaps nearer to Dtewi or Farmland). Not near as far as what these results would indicate... I know, I know... Don't let the quiz tell me where I stand politically... I'm just curious if many others felt that their results were noticably off the mark?

I felt the same way, I'm definitely right wing of the german social democratic party, which I'm a member of, but most of the questions didn't give you the possibility to differ much. Too much black and white, too less grey shades, but hey it's just a quiz in the end. It can never clear up between things that would be right and can be done. That's why I wanted to discuss some if not in the long run all questions to see, what others in specific thought of the single meanings.

 



http://nintendo-geheimtipps.blogspot.com

Sqrl on 21 July 2009
Kasz216 said:
Sqrl said:
SamuelRSmith said:
Eh, I'll just copy and paste something I wrote on drugs:

The use of drugs should never result in a prison sentence or a fine; instead if someone is caught with drugs for personal use, then that person should only be offered rehabilitation. Parents of young children will have to go through rehabilitation, or risk losing their child, whilst everyone else will retain the rights to reject the rehab offered.

Similar schemes have been introduced in Portugal, and it has had many staggering results:

- Rehabilitation was found to be cheaper than incarceration.
- Illegal drug use amongst teens has decreased.
- The number of HIV cases caused by sharing dirty needles decreased.
- The number of people seeking help for their drug problem doubled.
- Deaths related to heroin and other drugs more than halved.

These are the results of drug use becoming less of a taboo (which makes “rebellious” teens less likely to start), and so people stopped using them underground, and society became far more open to drugs.

Actually that is a big part of the problem, drugs aren't seen as taboo by the people who get involved with them.  For most it is a way to fit in and belong to a group.  From a social engineering standpoint (a field I'm not overly fond of but whatever) the ideal would be for drug use to be something that would alienate you from a group not help to fit in.

A great example I can think of, and maybe this was a regional thing, but in my area it used to be really popular and "cool" to have a beeper when they were prevalent...but when cell phones started taking over it was "pshaw...you still use a beeper?".  Granted beepers aren't addictive but today nobody even considers buying a beeper ..the point being that if you don't ever get it you can't get hooked.  Perhaps a bit of a convoluted example but again..whatever =P

There are other types of users of course, those who want an escape for example, but in their case the drug use is a symptom and not a cause so addressing it requires a different approach.

As for the plan you present I agree rehabilitation is far and away the best choice with "drug crimes".  But people have to want help or it does absolutely no good.  At the very least it would be a large step in the right direction though.

Ah but look at cigarrettes.

Cigarrettes "used" to be cool.

But slowley do to all their negative effects have been villinized by the public at large.

Cigarrettes are really only cool with one group now.

Kids under 18. 

Kinda makes my point, yes?

The group it is cool with still sees a stream of new users, while very few people start once they are over 20 and out of that group.  Note which group it is illegal for as well =P
To Each Man, Responsibility
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Kasz216 on 21 July 2009
Sqrl said:
Kasz216 said:
Sqrl said:
SamuelRSmith said:
Eh, I'll just copy and paste something I wrote on drugs:

The use of drugs should never result in a prison sentence or a fine; instead if someone is caught with drugs for personal use, then that person should only be offered rehabilitation. Parents of young children will have to go through rehabilitation, or risk losing their child, whilst everyone else will retain the rights to reject the rehab offered.

Similar schemes have been introduced in Portugal, and it has had many staggering results:

- Rehabilitation was found to be cheaper than incarceration.
- Illegal drug use amongst teens has decreased.
- The number of HIV cases caused by sharing dirty needles decreased.
- The number of people seeking help for their drug problem doubled.
- Deaths related to heroin and other drugs more than halved.

These are the results of drug use becoming less of a taboo (which makes “rebellious” teens less likely to start), and so people stopped using them underground, and society became far more open to drugs.

Actually that is a big part of the problem, drugs aren't seen as taboo by the people who get involved with them.  For most it is a way to fit in and belong to a group.  From a social engineering standpoint (a field I'm not overly fond of but whatever) the ideal would be for drug use to be something that would alienate you from a group not help to fit in.

A great example I can think of, and maybe this was a regional thing, but in my area it used to be really popular and "cool" to have a beeper when they were prevalent...but when cell phones started taking over it was "pshaw...you still use a beeper?".  Granted beepers aren't addictive but today nobody even considers buying a beeper ..the point being that if you don't ever get it you can't get hooked.  Perhaps a bit of a convoluted example but again..whatever =P

There are other types of users of course, those who want an escape for example, but in their case the drug use is a symptom and not a cause so addressing it requires a different approach.

As for the plan you present I agree rehabilitation is far and away the best choice with "drug crimes".  But people have to want help or it does absolutely no good.  At the very least it would be a large step in the right direction though.

Ah but look at cigarrettes.

Cigarrettes "used" to be cool.

But slowley do to all their negative effects have been villinized by the public at large.

Cigarrettes are really only cool with one group now.

Kids under 18. 

Kinda makes my point, yes?

The group it is cool with still sees a stream of new users, while very few people start once they are over 20 and out of that group.  Note which group it is illegal for as well =P

Oh I thought you were argueing the opposite.



Slimebeast on 21 July 2009

All popular drugs should certainly be legal (meth, heroine, marijuana etc), except perhaps the super-deadly drugs, but there's no market for them anyways.



Sqrl on 21 July 2009
Slimebeast said:
All popular drugs should certainly be legal (meth, heroine, marijuana etc), except perhaps the super-deadly drugs, but there's no market for them anyways.

This is, in my opinion, the only real issue with legalization.  Where to draw the line on what is/isn't legal and deciding what criteria should be used in considering the legal status of a substance. 
To Each Man, Responsibility
Slimebeast on 21 July 2009
Sqrl said:
Slimebeast said:
All popular drugs should certainly be legal (meth, heroine, marijuana etc), except perhaps the super-deadly drugs, but there's no market for them anyways.

This is, in my opinion, the only real issue with legalization.  Where to draw the line on what is/isn't legal and deciding what criteria should be used in considering the legal status of a substance. 


Yeah, so it should be possible to solve.

But it don't matter if it can be done. It wont be legalized because there's such a huge interest from many actors to keep the drug business illegal, and all these actors (police, lawyers, politicians, druglords, social workers, rehab institutions, custom control etc) will oppose legalization. :/



SamuelRSmith on 21 July 2009
Slimebeast said:
Sqrl said:
Slimebeast said:
All popular drugs should certainly be legal (meth, heroine, marijuana etc), except perhaps the super-deadly drugs, but there's no market for them anyways.

This is, in my opinion, the only real issue with legalization.  Where to draw the line on what is/isn't legal and deciding what criteria should be used in considering the legal status of a substance.


Yeah, so it should be possible to solve.

But it don't matter if it can be done. It wont be legalized because there's such a huge interest from many actors to keep the drug business illegal, and all these actors (police, lawyers, politicians, druglords, social workers, rehab institutions, custom control etc) will oppose legalization. :/

Wouldn't the police benefit from not having to spend so many resources on tackling drugs? Rehab centers would certainly do better business (particularly under my model), and my mum works in the social-working arena, and has been on many drug training programs, etc - the social care people are a lot more liberal about drug use than most (because they know the actual facts).