Charlie Stross wrote:
>
> I think the following got submerged in the previous political compass
> thread, so here's a separate repost: a geek code for summing up one's
> political ideology in a multidimensional framework.
>
> Anyone got any comments? Suggestions for amendments? Opinions as to
> usefulness?
Well, under the Unions part, I'd suggest a:
UI = I am a union of one.
Under Rights, I'd have:
Rlog = Rights are proportional to the log of your brain/body mass ratio.
>
> -- Charlie
>
> >From charlie@pc.antipope.org Wed Jan 12 10:50:45 2000
> Newsgroups: soc.history.what-if
> Subject: Usenet politics code 0.02
>
> [ Still under test. Note the re-org further down! ]
>
> -- Charlie
>
> S++ C--- F+ I++ RS rA@@@? rD@@@@ rE@@ rF@@@@ rG@ rH@@@@ rO%%%%
> rP@@ rR%%% rS@@@@ rT@@@@ rW@@@ rX@@@ rZ@@/%%
>
> The USENET politics code, draft 0.02:
>
> (NOTE: this code deliberately _avoids_ using any political buzz-words that
> I'm familiar with. If you spot any, please let me know so that I can remove
> them!)
>
> First come five major categories. You probably have a stance on all of
> these axes. Pick your positions and separate them with spaces. If you
> vary between two (such as S++ and S-), separate them with a slash,
> thus: S++/S-.
>
> S Society. You know; they're all around us. But how important is it,
> really?
>
> S++++ The individual only exists as part of a broader human society;
> their goals and aspirations are only valid insofar as they advance
> society's goals
> S+++ Society is important and has a right to override individual
> preferences or wants where appropriate.
> S++ Society is important, but individuals have rights too, and there
> is a balancing point between the two -- although an individuals
> rights stop at the end of their nose, and society has to look after
> everything else.
> S+ Society is just a useful social construct; it's made up of people,
> and people come first.
> S- Society is an emergent phenomenon that arises from interactions
> among people. It has no independent existence without the
> willing participation of individuals.
> S-- Society is all too often used as an excuse to limit individual
> rights; we need to be careful about throwing this term around in
> public.
> S--- ... it's spelt "sheeple"
> S---- There is no such thing as society
>
> C Church politics. Should it have any place in government?
>
> C++++ I am the pope/ayatollah/chief rabbi! You betcha!
> C+++ The [insert holy book] tells us how we should live our lives,
> and we ought to legislate its provisions into law and live by
> them. Religious observation and education should be compulsory.
> C++ In general, the [insert holy book] is a good guide to life,
> though I figure as this is an enlightened age we can replace
> "stoning to death" with five years hard labour. (And that bit
> about not wearing mixed fibres -- drop it.) Religious observance
> should be encouraged, and irreligous education discouraged.
> C+ I believe in [insert holy book] and will live by it, but I
> don't think non-religionists need to be bound by it. (It's their
> soul, right?) Religious education and observance is a personal
> matter.
> !C I am an atheist.
> ?C I think I might be an agnostic, but I'm not sure.
> C- It's a good idea to keep priests away from the education system
> and government. Separation of church and state.
> C-- Religion, based on prehistoric irrationalism, has no place in
> the running of a modern state. Laws and values should be based
> on introspective ethical scrutiny, not superstition.
> C--- Mandating religious education or observance is a tool of
> oppression! Religion is irrational guff! In fact, we should be
> targeting education to innoculate kids against the virus of
> pernicious superstition. (And close the churches.)
> C---- Kill the priests.
>
> F Force Majeure. Does might make right, at national level?
>
> F++++ I've got an H-bomb, so bend and spread 'em. (Alternatively:
> "What do we want? Lebensraum! Where do we want it? Ost! When
> do we want it? Now!")
> F+++ There are of course rules of civilized warfare, but if our
> economic or political interests are threatened we reserve the
> right to defend them by sending an aircraft carrier or organizing
> a discreet coup d'etat. And we'll probably exercise that right --
> frequently. If we _don't_ have that kind of arsenal, we'll send
> terrorists.
> F++ We have armed forces to defend ourselves against attack, and if
> you can show us a UN resolution we'll lend you a bomber squadron
> or two. But in general we don't invade other countries and we
> don't send terrorists.
> F+ Our constitution forbids us from operating away from home. So
> sorry, UN security council.
> F- We used to have an army, but we caught them planning a coup so
> we took away their guns and loaned them to the UN on peacekeeping
> duties for the next forty years.
> F-- If you invade us we'll all sit down. And hold our breath until we
> turn blue. (You'll be sorry.)
> F--- We don't have an army -- but all independent-minded people pack
> automatic weapons, and some of the neighbours have fully privately
> owned tactical nukes. Invade us at your peril.
>
> I Individuality. You know how important you are. But does everyone else?
>
> I++++ I am the Quonster's pedigreed consultant. Fear me.
> I+++ Individuals have inviolable rights. If you try to violate my
> rights you are attacking me and I can exercise the right to
> self-defense.
> I++ All people have rights, but there are common goods that can be
> degraded by the unhindered exercise of private rights -- for
> example, by polluting a common resource such as the atmosphere.
> We therefore concede that some common goods must override
> individual rights, but we'd rather this was the exception than
> the rule.
> I+ You have rights, but if you abuse them we may have to take them
> away from you.
> I- Rights are just a legalistic construct. If you get in our great
> nation's way, you have only yourself to blame.
> I-- Your body belongs to the state; we know what's best for you. Do
> as you're told and nothing nasty will happen. Or else.
> I--- I am the Quonster.
>
> R Rights. This is a difficult one ...
>
> R! I believe in absolute, "natural" rights that exist in and of
> themselves.
> RS I believe rights exist by implied social contract; they're a
> legal construct that makes it possible for people to coexist.
> R- I don't believe in rights.
> RA I believe all animals have rights, too.
>
> Now let's consider some more clearly defined areas. A right is prefixed
> with a lowercase "r", then the right's identifying letter, then a score
> from @@@@ to %%%%. A question mark indicates uncertainty; for example,
> rA@@@? indicates a broadly positive stance on child destruction, with
> some uncertainty. An exclamation mark indicates total disinterest; for
> example, rA! indicates "not interested". Two scores separated by a slash
> (e.g. @@/%%%%) mean opinion veers between these two extremes.
>
> Note: the use of @ and % is an attempt to get away from any psychological
> association between positive and negative attributes which may be ascribed
> to some belief. (I switched to it because I caught myself ascribing +/- to
> my own pet positions. Let me know if it causes problems.)
>
> You can miss out any of the categories you can't be bothered with.
>
> Here are the categories:
>
> A Abortion.
>
> @@@@ pro-child destruction
> ...
> %%%% anti-freedom
>
> C Communism
>
> I was going to provide a scale here, but it's virtually impossible to
> get any two socialists, communists, or claret-swilling social democrats
> to agree on what is, or is not, leftism without employing surreal number
> theory to follow the branches and schisms. So just feel free to use this
> one as you will:
>
> @@@@ I am Karl Marx/Leon Trotsky
> ...
> %%%% I am Joe McCarthy/Tony Blair[*]
>
> D Drugs (recreational)
>
> @@@@ Legalize everything! Heroin, cocaine, you name it! For free!
> ...
> %%%% The War on Drugs has gone soft! Mandatory blood tests in shopping
> malls, death penalty for repeat offenders! Ban coffee!!
>
> E Environment.
>
> @@@@ The environment is more important than us humans. We need to
> minimize our impact by any means necessary.
> ...
> %%%% "I drive a 50's gas-guzzler and add tetraethyl lead to my gas 'cuz
> I can't wait for that greenhouse effect to get here! Shot any whales
> lately?"
>
> F Futurism (confidence in the future; transhumanism; belief in the
> positive transforming effects of new technology)
>
> @@@@ The future's so bright my uploaded transhuman AI's gotta
> wear shades
> ...
> %%%% We're all gonna DIE!!!! Of poisoning!!! By genetically modified
> peanuts!!!
>
> G Guns (Personal weapons ownership -- not just firearms)
>
> @@@@ I want my own SCUD-B! Death to noisy poodles, and their owners!
> ...
> %%%% Ban all toothbrushes! They're potentially murderous weapons, in
> the hands of a psychopath!
>
> H Healthcare
>
> @@@@ Healthcare is a basic right that should be provided by the state.
> ...
> %%%% Provision of healthcare is an individual's personal responsibility.
>
> L Libertarianism
>
> @@@@ I am L. Neil Smith! Get off my land!
> ...
> %%%% We know where you live: we know where your dog goes to school.
> Just you wait, there's a black helicopter with your name on the
> pick-up list ...
>
> M Free market economics.
>
> @@@@ Austrian school
> ...
> %%%% Soviet central planning school
>
> O Objectivism
>
> @@@@ I am Ayn Rand! Worship me!
> ...
> %%%% Rand is nearly as funny as Marx. Groucho Marx.
>
> P Pork barrel (Government spending)
>
> @@@@ Big government spending! Pyramids on the moon! An aircraft
> carrier in every cooking pot!
> ...
> %%%% The government should put every penny it receives in a piggy
> bank, for use in event of a really major disaster. Then shoot
> anyone who tries to spend it.
>
> R Racial/Ethnic identity politics.
>
> @@@@ Adolf Hitler
> ...
> %%%% Colour-blind
>
> S Free Speech.
>
> @@@@ Absolutely no censorship of any kind, ever, under any
> circumstances.
> @@@ Opt-out for national security
> @@ Sometimes it's okay to censor pornographers/undesirables
> ...
> %%%% State censorship of all media is a good idea. Please read my mail!
>
> T Science/Technology spending
>
> @@@@ Big science funding is one of those things government is good at;
> let's go back to the moon!
> ...
> %%%% The invisible hand will provide. If it won't, who needs it? It's
> obviously useless.
>
> U Union rights
>
> @@@@ I'm a member of a trades union. Achieve strength through collective
> bargaining! Don't let management trample all over you -- strike if
> necessary, and strike often!
> ...
> %%%% Trade unions are gangsters; shoot 'em all and abolish workplace
> safety rules and minimum wage while you're at it.
>
> W Welfare
>
> @@@@ Cradle-to-grave education, unemployment and disability insurance,
> and pensions, to be provided by the state. (Sod the income tax bill,
> at least I'll never starve.)
> ...
> %%%% Why should I pay to support a bunch of feckless workshy layabouts?
> Let 'em buy insurance for themselves! If they're starving, put 'em
> to work!
>
> X Tax
>
> @@@@ I'm willing to pay more tax -- lots if necessary -- for the
> betterment of my society
> ...
> %%%% Tax is an iniquitous abomination that can best be dealt with by
> putting government on a subscription -- charitable -- basis.
>
> Z Evangelism
>
> How willing are you to share your beliefs with others? (Think of this as
> your "evangelism quotient").
>
> @@@@ I want to spread the good news around and will do so even if you
> try to shut me up
> ...
> %%%% Discussing politics on the net is boring and boorish. Desist.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> [*] UK political joke. Foreigners, please ignore.
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