Blargh Blog

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Go-Meme Go

Metapolitics Go-meme

How should politics be conducted? I've marked in my positions on the 7-point scales below. To participate yourself, simply copy this entire post (including links), and mark your choices accordingly before posting it to your own blog.

a) Liberalism - X - - - - - Radicalism (2/7)
Do the ends justify the means? Procedural liberals insist on the primacy of fair play and democratic process. Radicals care less about method, and more about getting the desired result.

b) Rationalism - - X - - - - Subjectivism (3/7)
Is there ever a "right answer" to political questions? Rationalists think that reasoned debate could, ideally, lead to consensus about the common good. Subjectivists see politics as a mere contest of wills, all rhetoric and power plays, where the goal is simply to have your individual preferences win through.

c) Direct - - - - - X - Representative Democracy (6/7)
Should power rest more with citizens or elected representatives?

d) Aggregation - - X - - - - Deliberation (3/7)
Should political decisions be reached by simply aggregating individuals' prior preferences, or by submitting reasons for deliberation and critical scrutiny?

e) Federalist - - - X - - - Globalist (4/7)
What's the most appropriate level for political decisions? Federalists favour local-level decision-making (which may vary across localities), in contrast to Globalists.

f) Libertarian - - X - - - - Authoritarian (3/7)
How much discretionary power should be allowed in politics? Libertarians favour greater (e.g. constitutional) constraints on the exercise of political power. Authoritarians (may include populists and paternalists) are the opposite.

g) Economic Left - X - - - - - Right (2/7)
How favourably do you view redistributive taxation and other typically "Left-wing" economic policies?

Track List:
1. Philosophy, et cetera
2. Kiwi Pundit
3. GeniusNZ
4. Blargh Blog
5. [Add link to your blog here]

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Saturday, September 02, 2006

I am Two

Where were you on September 2, 2004? I was here, on the internets, for the very first time. Self, noted.

How have I changed over the years? Let's compare.

choice - then: in favor; now: in favor
democracy - then: in favor; now: in favor
family - then: in favor; now: in favor
freedom - then: in favor; now: in favor
friendship - then: in favor; now: in favor
happiness - then: in favor; now: in favor
health - then: in favor; now: in favor
incompetence - then: opposed; now: opposed
injustice - then: opposed; now: opposed
knowledge - then: in favor; now: in favor
life - then: in favor; now: in favor
murder - then: opposed; now: opposed
pie - then: in favor; now: in favor
progress - then: in favor; now: in favor
slander - then: opposed; now: opposed
slavery - then: opposed; now: opposed
strife - then: opposed; now: opposed
suffering - then: opposed; now: opposed
terrorism - then: opposed; now: opposed
torture - then: opposed; now: opposed
tyranny - then: opposed; now: opposed

Not that much, apparently.

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