Are You an Authoritarian?

Tram law writes: But for the most part, political tests like those shouldn't be trusted because they can always be manipulated.

HUH?

The point of the test is to allow you to learn about yourself.

If you manipulate the answers to gt the answer you desire, what you have learned about yourself is that you like being willfully ignorant.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

Tram law writes: In one sense they are very authoritarian. But it all depends on how one defines authoritarian. In partisan politics, of course, the claim will always be something akin to "the other party is the one who's Authoritarian and mine is not". In regards to the test I think if you did the opposite you'd get a similar score on the other side of the graph. But as for me, my own personal definition of Authoritarian, when it comes to politics, is that any party who wants to increase the size of government and increase it's powers over the citizens is an authoritarian party, regardless of the motivations behind it. I'm sure there are probably some weaknesses you can point out, but for the large part it pretty much bears out. Such as when you consider the dictionary definition: 1. favoring complete obedience or subjection to authority as opposed to individual freedom: authoritarian principles; authoritarian attitudes. 2. of or pertaining to a governmental or political system, principle, or practice in which individual freedom is held as completely subordinate to the power or authority of the state, centered either in one person or a small group that is not constitutionally accountable to the people. 3. exercising complete or almost complete control over the will of another or of others: an authoritarian parent. But for the most part, political tests like those shouldn't be trusted because they can always be manipulated.

So how does this rant address this?

Theodoric writes: You seem to be making the assumption that conservative=authoritarian. The point of the exercise seems to be that they are not equal.

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Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

If you didn't want to hear what I had to say then you shouldn't have asked a question.

It does answer your question.

Even if you can't understand it.

People always confuse disagreements with ignorant.

It's a test to see what your political leanings are. It is not accurate and only speaks of terms of right/left and libertarian and authoritarianism. It does not consider things like left and right have different meanings in other countries. It doesn't consider that Democrats can be different than liberals nor does it consider that Republicans can be different from conservatives. Nor does it consider the beliefs of other political parties either. At least as far as I know.

It's a test to see what your political leanings are. It is not accurate and only speaks of terms of right/left and libertarian and authoritarianism. It does not consider things like left and right have different meanings in other countries. It doesn't consider that Democrats can be different than liberals nor does it consider that Republicans can be different from conservatives. Nor does it consider the beliefs of other political parties either. At least as far as I know.

But it is not intended to do that.

That is like saying cholesterol testing does not measure PSA levels.

The purpose of this is to SIMPLY give your political leanings on a right/left, authoritarian/libertarian matrix. Is it perfect? Of course not. Can it be manipulated? Of course it can. By why would you want to? Why would a person want to cheat on a personality test, unless they wanted to lie to themselves?

Oh could a simple test give an accurate portrayal about the complexity of a persons political leanings. All we can hope for is some sort of amorphous dot on a matrix.

It doesn't consider that Democrats can be different than liberals nor does it consider that Republicans can be different from conservatives.

Does it say anything about Democrat/Republican at all?
No. That is not its purpose.

It doesn't consider that Democrats can be different than liberals nor does it consider that Republicans can be different from conservatives.

Again this is not the purpose of this little test.

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Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

If you manipulate your answers all you learn is that you are willing to lie about your answers.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

I "cheated" to see what it would to take to get the kind of score I wanted to get out of curiosity, and to see what weaknesses the test had, nothing more.

There are different reasons for doing things other than lieing. It's up to the individual. Your mistake is assuming that all of us are the same.

And yes it is the purpose of the test, to see your political leanings.

It's simply a measure of attitudes and inevitable human contradictions to provide a more integrated definition of where people and parties are really at.

Which is a really short sighted way of looking at things.

There are different reasons for doing so.

It is an easy test to manipulate and simply should not be trusted.

Edited by Tram law, : spelling

Your mistake is assuming that all of us are the same.

Please show where I have said or implied this. Are you lying about what I have said?

And yes it is the purpose of the test, to see your political leanings.

Exactly!! Based on a a left/right, authoritarian/libertarian matrix. No one realistically thinks this is going to be a highly accurate measure of anyone's total political beliefs.

I notice you used the word leanings. Your use of the word recognizes the purpose of the test. Maybe you don't know what "leanings" means.

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Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

You said:

Why would a person want to cheat on a personality test, unless they wanted to lie to themselves?

Because you assume that this is the only reason for doing something like this and therefore since it can be the only reason everybody who does this is the same.

Which is not true.

I notice you used the word leanings. Your use of the word recognizes the purpose of the test. Maybe you don't know what "leanings" means.

Every time I have a disagreement over something people claim this. Or they call me a child because I don't think like them and are always very rude to me like you have been. A disagreement is not the same thing as not being able to comprehend what something means. If I had a dollar for every single time this happened to me I'd be a rich man.

Why can't it be trusted?

The test can be trusted to teach you about yourself.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

Do you truly think these are equal?

You have heard of the Tea Party haven't you? Now I don't think the vast majority of Tea Partiers have a clue how they feel about anything other than their fear of the poor and brown people. But the semi-official line of the Tea Party is that they are conservative and libertarian. This doesn't seem possible in your world.

Have you heard of FDR? He was liberal but authoritarian. Richard Nixon was actually fairly liberal too, but very authoritarian.

You seem to want everything to fit into a box. This is one of those things that is not easily defined.

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Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

Actually it's you who wants to fit everything in a box, and your continued efforts to pester me show this.

I've actually read the Tea Party's official website. With you playing the race card it seems you haven't and are just following the party line. Which is ironic considering your little rant about me because I have my own beliefs about things. Not to mention how easily you've defined the Tea party as racists when you really haven't read anything about them except what your fellow liberals say about them. And I haven't known a liberal yet who does not call each and every single one of them racists because of a few loud mouthed idiots in the party as well as calling them Teabaggers as an insult.

So I'm sure you'll just continue to pester me just because I have my own beliefs. I suppose you just can't help yourself.

And that's the difference between me and you. I don't pester you or other people just because they have different beliefs than other people.

How about addressing the issue. You are claiming that conservatism and authoritarianism are equal. Care to defend that?

What is with he personal attacks?

Not to mention how easily you've defined the Tea party as racists when you really haven't read anything about them except what your fellow liberals say about them

So you know me personally? You know what I do or do not know? Weird?

And that's the difference between me and you. I don't pester you or other people just because they have different beliefs than other people.

You do realize that this is a debate site don't you? This is not a site to allow Tram Law to pontificate without him having to defend his arguments. If you don't like people calling you out on the crap you post, quit posting it. Or maybe you could address the issues people bring up with reasonable arguments and lay off the personal attacks. A thinker skin would help your posting a lot.

Latest tea party racist in news

Maybe you should Google Mark Williams. I can show you endless examples of racism in the Tea Party movement. How many examples of Tea Partiers disavowing the racism can you provide?

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Facts don't lie or have an agenda. Facts are just facts

Racist: Anyone who wins an argument with a liberal.