Liberty Alone

Recently people have been commenting on the political compass style quizzes and how unsuitable they are.

The same applies to the quizzes now going around to see which presidential candidate matches your views best. For example I’ve just come across this question in this quiz:

How do you feel about marijuana legalization?

• It should be legalized and regulated similar to alcohol.
• Criminal penalties should be reduced and/or medical marijuana should be explored, but no full legalization.
• It should remain illegal in all forms, period.

This question does not give my position which is to legalise all drugs and to remove the regulatory regime from alcohol. I don’t want drugs regulated as they are for alcohol, especially not the US style regulation which encourages drinking to excess amongst young people (through prohibition) and penalises parents who wish their children to be able to drink responsibly under supervision.

The business vs. workers question is also far too restrictive. What is good for business is not necessarily good for workers, but it is regulation which brings this about. Regulation generally favours big business, especially those with political clout.

The list goes on. I am firmly against a US nationalised health system, but tweaks to the current system are also not satisfactory. It needs to become a truly free market system, not the current nepotistic government-business alliance.

(For what its worth the best quiz I’ve found is this one. It seems to take into account more viewpoints. It gives me the now withdrawn Libertarian candidate Kent McManigal as top match and Greens as the least (one of them on 3% match - showing their anti-liberal bias) and a mix of Republicans and Democrats in the middle).

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