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Originally posted by drewfactor I definitely gravitate to right wing thought for sure. I read about politics, world issues, etc... and I find that the right wing slant always appeals to me. I find that university tends to nurture left wing thought and tends to uphold left wing bias in campus media and even in courses (especially social sciences). One other thing: Adhering to one side of the political spectrum tends to come with conditions, do you agree with that? What I mean is, right wingers tend to be pro-American and Israeli sympathisers, left wingers tend to be anti-American and pro palestinian. Are these necessary conditions for being right wing or left wing?

You consider yourself right-wing, and in your sig you quote a Beat Writer? I think you just answered the question for yourself....i would say behind all the muck, there are no pre-conditions, as these categorizations are really in essence nothing. In my view, if one really is a free thinker, then he/she doesn't necessarily have to associate or agree with any viewpoint that the group they align themselves with supposedly holds. In this way the viewpoint that you take is already pre-determined for you, instead of you, through your own independent inquiry, drawing your own conclusions.

I think a lot of ppl on both 'sides' really don't examine particular issues fully enough to come to their own individual conclusion. Oftentimes I think that if a supposedly "liberal" or "conservative" person sees/hears someone who they suppose holds similar core views to their own expressing a viewpoint about some issue, they almost automatically begin to agree with that person and take on that view as if they had come to it on their own, when in reality the only reason that they would take such a stance is because they unconciously (or blindly) believe that such a position is one current with whatever group they affiliate themselves with.

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Originally posted by JudgeJulez You consider yourself right-wing, and in your sig you quote a Beat Writer? I think you just answered the question for yourself....i would say behind all the muck, there are no pre-conditions, as these categorizations are really in essence nothing. In my view, if one really is a free thinker, then he/she doesn't necessarily have to associate or agree with any viewpoint that the group they align themselves with supposedly holds. In this way the viewpoint that you take is already pre-determined for you, instead of you, through your own independent inquiry, drawing your own conclusions. I think a lot of ppl on both 'sides' really don't examine particular issues fully enough to come to their own individual conclusion. Oftentimes I think that if a supposedly "liberal" or "conservative" person sees/hears someone who they suppose holds similar core views to their own expressing a viewpoint about some issue, they almost automatically begin to agree with that person and take on that view as if they had come to it on their own, when in reality the only reason that they would take such a stance is because they unconciously (or blindly) believe that such a position is one current with whatever group they affiliate themselves with.

i agree.
i see too many people who try to be liberal and don't really think about what they believe in, they are just as closed minded as they accuse people who are hard core right wing.
I try to not align myself with being right or left wing. If you ask me what I am, i honestly don't know. I have many views which would fall under left wing, but i have other views that fall under right.
I try not to worry about the political spectrum. I try to find the view that is closest to being "right." or most logical

I am a proud member the Intelligent Party. We currently have one member and are not recruiting.

I tend to be more left wing than right, but I wont call myself a democrat because all the partisan politics piss me off, and both partys do stuff that pisses me off.

left-leaning centrist.

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Originally posted by JudgeJulez You consider yourself right-wing, and in your sig you quote a Beat Writer? I think you just answered the question for yourself....i would say behind all the muck, there are no pre-conditions, as these categorizations are really in essence nothing. In my view, if one really is a free thinker, then he/she doesn't necessarily have to associate or agree with any viewpoint that the group they align themselves with supposedly holds. In this way the viewpoint that you take is already pre-determined for you, instead of you, through your own independent inquiry, drawing your own conclusions. I think a lot of ppl on both 'sides' really don't examine particular issues fully enough to come to their own individual conclusion. Oftentimes I think that if a supposedly "liberal" or "conservative" person sees/hears someone who they suppose holds similar core views to their own expressing a viewpoint about some issue, they almost automatically begin to agree with that person and take on that view as if they had come to it on their own, when in reality the only reason that they would take such a stance is because they unconciously (or blindly) believe that such a position is one current with whatever group they affiliate themselves with.

Those are some very astute comments You're quite right in that it seems like a paradox to have a more right wing supporter quote a beat writer...I can see why you would think that Jack Kerouac would represent a left wing ideology with his beatnik tendencies and affinity for drugs and sex. But, from what I've read about Kerouac as a person (not from his books...which are awesome by the way ) is that he supported a lot of right wing causes. It was his love and drive to explore "freedom of the human spirit" that (to me) is no more a left wing than a right wing cause. In fact it was his love of freedom and the open road that was a very "American" phenomenon. His free spirit idealogy is probably connected to his loathing of government control. Apparently he loathed communism and supported the Viet Nam war. Also, he explored Buddhism in his books but had Mono-theistic (Catholic) roots which he adhered to throughout his life.

Left and right are not very good at describing the full picture. Just look at Stalin and the hippies. They were both leftists, but they were very different. Often groups on the same side of political spectrum have more disagreements between each other than they do with the people on the opposite side.

There was a thread here a while ago that had a test whether you're right or left. But the interesting part about that test was that it was not only a right-left test, since it brought a new dimension into it. On the x-axis was left and right economical, while on the y-axis was the authoritarian/liberal scale. That sort of analysis is much better at describing someone's political views. Anyway, on that scale I came up as mildly authoritarian leftist which I consider to be pretty much right.

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this compass totally shocked me as I turned out to be a harcore anarchist, leaving leftists like Ghandi miles behind me.

it's funny...when it comes to "domestic" politics like..health care, economy, social issues etc. im pretty leftish but when foreign policy is the issue (terrorism etc.) im what you'd consider a "hardliner" as I simply dont accept appeasment.

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"Those are my principles, if you don't like them... well, I have others.”

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Originally posted by Arbiter I am a proud member the Intelligent Party. We currently have one member and are not recruiting.

auw come on, maybe you can make an exception for me. there could still be one member but i would be your apprentice and take over if you leave earth, it would be sad if there was no continuation of the intelligent party.

but ya, im left on some issues right on others... i dont know which way i lean when you sum up all the issues out there. im proud to be me.

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If God is the answer, it must have been a very stupid question.

I'm left wing for sure.

it just feels right. (by that I mean it feels good)

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- Well, I lean more tours left wing ( democrat ). But there's some of the right wings whom I like also, there's bad and good on both sides, but currently I definetly lean more to the left wing. And no, it doesnt make you anit-american, pro-palestinian or anything, take as for an example, Joe Lieaberman... he is from Israel, yet, he is from the left wing, and the whole jewish community ( majority ) is pro-left wing, at least in area. So I dont think that the wing you are in means you are pro or anti something, is definetly wrong.

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