Political Minority

In late 2007, Facebook did a poll for its members, asking them where they felt that they stood on the political spectrum (like this one) and gave them five possible answers.

government should have...
1) weak economic control and weak social control
2) strong economic control and weak social control
3) weak economic control and strong social control
4) strong economic control and strong social control
5) I don't know/I don't have an opinion.

On a political scale, these are roughly divided (note the word roughly, meaning not exactly) into libertarianism (#1), liberalism (#2), conservatism (#3), totalitarianism (#4), and politically agnostic (#5).

As you know, this was during a very political time frame and the facebook age group happened to be an age group that is more involved in politics now then it has been in decades. Of course, #1, #2, and #3 did the best, bringing in 92% of all the votes, however #4 was beaten out by #5. More people would claim "I don't know" then totalitarianism. Which isn't all surprising given the stigma attached to that label. Heck would could look at some groups in the past to see why it has earned that stigma, such as Nazi, Stalinism, Fascism, Socialism (real socialism, not the "socialism" that Europe has) and pretty much every dictator that has ever lived. Since that is a trait of being a dictator, holding all the power and not sharing any power or rights (since rights are a power).

But what statism is now (that section consisting of authortarianism and totalitarianism and a bunch of other bad -isms) is something much more humble and moderate. I believe (for I cannot honestly speak for others) that government has an important role in any nation for its people, a role that involves protecting the people both socially and economically. Not to tell people what they can and cannot do, but to try to find a comprimise that everyone can be happy with.

This is my first post in what will hopefully be a weekly thing (if not more often). The only thing I will tell you to think is to think for yourself. I will not tell you to see it my way and that I am right or that anyone is wrong. I will tell you what I think and feel and why I think and feel that way. Any political position that closes itself down and takes the mind set of "I don't need to know why they think that way, they are all wrong," is going to spell ruin in the future of this (or any) nation (IMO).

OreEle