Tyler's Turn Blog

Imagine the year is 2035. Mexico is now a developed nation with a strong arsenal, and the Arian Nation has taken over most of Texas. With the complicity of the U.S. government, the Arian Nation runs all the schools, hospitals, and other social services of Texas. It also patrols the boarder. Most Texans are happy to have the Arian Nation there, because they do a good job of running things and they make Texans feel safer. The U.S. government likes having the Arian Nation in Texas, because it means less money spent running Texas and more money left over for other things.

One day, the Arian Nation, which believes all non-whites should be destroyed and their land given to whites, attacks Mexico. Mexico responds by attacking Texas. The hostilities escalate into a full-fledged war. Mexico bombs the hell out of Texas, and the Arian Nation bombs the hell out of northern Mexico.

How would you respond to this news? Would it be different from or similar to how you're responding to the news out of Lebanon?

Just something to think about.

Today, a friend asked me to retake the Political Compass questionnaire, and tell her where I fall and how my views have changed since the last time I took it.

Here are my results:

Economic Left/Right: 3.63
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.95

Translation: I'm about as Right as Tony Blaire, but as Libertarian as Gandhi.

I think I might have moved right a little bit since the last time I took this, which was when I was in Seminary and hanging out with socialists all the time. However, I've always been just to the right of the Left/Right line, and way below the Fascism/Anarchism line.

My libertarianism has held pretty steady ever since college, and my Austrian Economics classes with Ivan Pongracic. I think it also comes from having a Dad whose main priority was to raise children who thought for themselves. That's a very libertarian ideal.

Part of my current disenchantment with the Republican Party is that it seems to be getting more and more authoritarian. Since I'm much farther below center than I am right of center (and my libertarianism holds steady while my economic principles shift around), I'm willing to accept the leftishness of the Democratic party, as long as they pretty much stay out of our bedrooms, our churches, and our board rooms.