What is your political orientation according................

From Merriam Webster:

statism
One entry found.

Main Entry: stat

over Communism and Nazi-ism. Statism is best represented by all the Liberal Social Democracies in Europe. None of them can be characterized as Communist or Fascist, they're Democracies which favour a social safety net, and controls on businesses to protect consumers and the public.

Communism has been dead for 20 years or more, Centralized rule still exists in countries like Cuba, Myanmar, Pakistan, and probably areas of the Confederation of Independent States (the former Soviet Union) like Georgia, Khazakhstan and the like.

People in Europe trust their governments because they recognize that the system isn't inherently biased against them, mistakes happen and individuals can be crooks, but that doesn't reflect on the intent of the government to provide good services and support and health for everyone. Even when I lived in the States I was puzzled by the suspicion of government intentions, and the complete lack of suspicion of the intentions of corporations.

I'm still baffled over that.

rob

Americans may trust corporations a bit too much, but IMO the solution is not to trust government more. Better to maintain some distrust of government and acquire a distrust of corporations.

If you don't understand why so many Americans distrust the government then perhaps you aren't as thoroughly schooled in American culture/history as you think. I have not personally been victimized by many of the US government's breached promises/botched programs but the government has made a whole raft of promises it couldn't be bothered to keep. Think about Tuskegee or virtually any era from Native American history or Reconstruction. Then think about the Army giving hallucinogens to people without their knowledge.

There is at least some basis for the popular notion that "I'm from the government and I'm here to help" is an oxymoron.

I think people mistrust corporations plenty already. Seems to me that complaints against big oil, Toyota, insurance companies, etc. are loud and constant and not always fair.

The obvious big difference between business and government is that business is voluntary. If you don't want a particular product or service you aren't required to buy it, or you can go to a competitor.

With government, they pretty much tell you what to do and you have little choice but to obey or suffer the consequences. More than enough reason to distrust and dislike government.

is that it only exists to serve the best interests of a few and is willing to sacrifice the majority. When I see congress today, I don't see much difference in where their own priorities lie. Wanting to preserve one's own job is quite a motivation and it makes people stray from their own ideals quickly. The news last night had a story about a representative asking to step down from his committee position citing that his dilemma was making it difficult for many of his party members who were up for re-election. Just what would that say about the priorities of a person who's been elected to a position of trust and promised to serve them? Not much, me thinks.

I knew didn't fit at all. Even the one I went with might have had components that were not to my liking or some I'd never given consideration to. This might be due to not being on auto-pilot when any issue arises but thinking about each one separately.

the limits of the survey were clear. As I said, Q 4 was the worst.

I kind of like the cognitive BeBop of being almost a Liberal/Libertarian.

Rob

Not even by Proxy?

Mark

and you can vote there. My advise is to look at the obits in an old archived copy of the Tribune (an old Chicago newspaper). Pick a name and use that. But, be warned...there's good possibility that the dead person already has a continuous record of voting since they passed.

spoken for. Try some place a little more obscure, and less known for raising the dead each election day. Try Baltimore, or Richmond, Virginia.

rob

at the very top of the diamond to hang that chart,it would go through my star

lots more questions to get a more subtle and finely tuned assessment.

What interests me is the degree to which I approach the Libertarian POV when I am so obviously on the outs with all the other Libertarians here. Perhaps you should consider me right on the 3 point corner between Liberal, Centrist, and Libertarian, because that's about where I fell. In other words, despite the opinions you may think I hold, an independent poll suggests I'm a lot closer to you than you believe.

Rob