Politics

[Quip]

EDIT: I really messed up the organization on this one, so I deleted the poll and rewrote this post.

It seems to me that most people in the Bitcoin community are Rightist Libertarians, some to a more extreme extent that others. I'd like to do an informal survey of the politics here so as to see if the impression I received is accurate or the product of a vocal minority. Please choose the description in the poll above which best describes your political beliefs, using the chart below as a reference. If you are unsure about where you lie on the chart, please take this quiz. To start, I am a staunchly leftist libertarian, which means I believe in socialism so long as it does not interfere with personal or political freedoms.

http://www.politicalcompass.org/images/internationalchart.gif

[kiba]

What is a "conservative libertarian"?

[Quip]

Someone who believes the government should stay out of the economy but be otherwise powerful.

[kiba]

Someone who believes the government should stay out of the economy but be otherwise powerful.

I think that's just a conservative.

[Garrett Burgwardt]

Why no anarchist option? Or minarchist? You're leaving out wide swaths of political ideologies

[Quip]

Someone who believes the government should stay out of the economy but be otherwise powerful.

I think that's just a conservative.

Take a look at the chart. There are two axis, economic (libertarian-socialist) and political (liberal-conservative).

Why no anarchist option? Or minarchist? You're leaving out wide swaths of political ideologies

Again, chart. Anarchist is the extreme of the Conservative Libertarian side. Minarchist is almost there. The US Republican Party is in that direction, but closer to center.

[genjix]

anarcho socialist?

it doesn't matter too much as long as we have many experiments to find the best kind of society.

[Quip]

I have no idea what you mean by "anarcho socialist", but yes, experiments are a good thing!

[kiba]

I am an "anarcho-capitalist" but it really mean that I am a voluntaryist.

[grondilu]

I think people who claim that experiment is a good thing are cessessionists.

This means that when a nation is divided on an important issue, they just cut the country in two parts and put each camp in each sides.

We did that for the communism/liberalism antagonism and it was a mistake to try unification.

[BitterTea]

Another voluntaryist checking in, though not on your chart. I guess I would be a null value... I don't consider participating in politics to be worthwhile nor moral endeavor.

edit...

I think people who claim that experiment is a good thing are cessessionists.

This means that when a nation is divided on an important issue, they just cut the country in two parts and put each camp in each sides.

We did that for the communism/liberalism antagonism and it was a mistake to try unification.

I haven't stated this, but it is a point of view I hold (experimentation). What I mean by this though, is that once people have been convinced that the state is immoral, unnecessary, and destructive, I would not seek to impose any other structure on society. Some would, generally those that call themselves anarcho-*ists. From my experience, this especially applies to anarcho-socialists. Most seem to be willing to justify the initiation of the use of force to prevent private individuals from owning capital. Some anarcho-capitalists seem to be willing to do the same to prevent anarcho-socialism from taking root (though far fewer, in my experience). I however, would like to see the state fall, and would be happy seeing how society would rearrange itself in a voluntary manner. I believe that there is room on this planet for more than one type of society... whichever flourishes, flourishes.

[Quip]

haha, that's an interesting way of thinking. Reminds me of my uncle.

[Local]

Voluntarist here, I marked liberal libertarian. I think voluntarism is a subset of that, right?

[kiba]

Voluntarist here, I marked liberal libertarian. I think voluntarism is a subset of that, right?

I don't know.

[grondilu]

I believe that there is room on this planet for more than one type of society...

Well, we need to tell exactly that to people who advocate for a World Government.

[BitterTea]

Voluntarist here, I marked liberal libertarian. I think voluntarism is a subset of that, right?

Hmm... I suppose an argument could be made, but I would consider voluntarism more an offshoot/cousin of anarchism.

[Local]

Voluntarist here, I marked liberal libertarian. I think voluntarism is a subset of that, right?

Hmm... I suppose an argument could be made, but I would consider voluntarism more an offshoot/cousin of anarchism.

Yeah, me too, but anarchism wasn't an option in the poll either.

[ribuck]

Voluntarist.

Every one of the poll options assumes that I want to be ruled by someone else.

[kiba]

This is a better poll:

http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2006.0

Around 60% are some kind of libertarians and most of them are anarchists. That is, for people who voted.

[FatherMcGruder]

Again, chart. Anarchist is the extreme of the Conservative Libertarian side. Minarchist is almost there. The US Republican Party is in that direction, but closer to center.

No. Anarchists oppose hierarchy. Therefore, they oppose both the state and capitalism. I would guess that conservative libertarians support capitalism.

Not a fan of the chart at all.