Political Quiz

milan

Where do you stand exactly? Just take this quiz so those of us who are on the political debate could take some enlightenment in seeing that we are not so black and white after all on issues and on parties. [url]http://franz.org/quiz.htm[/url]I scored [b]19[/b] which is between Bill Clinton and Colin Powell.Have fun!

Roy

I scored 18...and I still can't stand McCain! :P

SG

I got 9 but many of the questions are too narrowly phrased to be of any value

mimpimanis

I did it out of curiosity, eben though I nothing about american politics - just general answers and got 10 - Hilary Clinton.

milan

But SG, they ask legitimate questions and seem fairly reliable. I see you scored 9? Then you're truly Liberal with a capital L... :lol: I'm trying to create a Kumbaya (is the spelling correct?) among us, Roy. Don't rub it any further... :DThere's always the first time, mimpimanis.

SG

bolli

I scored 13, but it's hardly enlightening. Some questions I just flipped a coin so to speak. :lol:

FreoGirl

But SG, they ask legitimate questions and seem fairly reliable. [/quote]No, I found I was unable to answer a few of the questions in the way I wanted to. The options offered were quite narrow, and a bit cliched at times IMO.It may be just me, but I like to stretch my thoughts on a broader canvas than that.The irony is that in New Zealand and Australia, I'm quite centrist (and I'd say in most of the rest of the world), but in the USA I'm classed as a liberal which is a fairly firm pointer that the centre in the US is very much to the right of the global political landscape. What are mostly uncontroversial opinions in much of the world are tarred as lib-left there.[/quote]I scored an 11 and in Australia I am also classified as a centrist, although I definately lean to the right. That's a good observation SG in regard to the centre in the US being very much to the right in the global political landscape. It is part of what makes it sooo scary when the US right gain power. They seem to be [i]very [/i]right compared to other countries.I also find it interesting that all us NON-US citizens can even have an opinion in regard to US politics - I mean, could any of you Americans vote on a political poll about Australian, European, UK, etc. politics ? I bet not. Go on - who's the current PM of Australia and how long has he/she been in?? What about NZ?? What party is in power in the UK and who is the Chancellor of the Exchequer?

SG

I also find it interesting that all us NON-US citizens can even have an opinion in regard to US politics - I mean, could any of you Americans vote on a political poll about Australian, European, UK, etc. politics ? I bet not. Go on - who's the current PM of Australia and how long has he/she been in?? What about NZ?? What party is in power in the UK and who is the Chancellor of the Exchequer?[/quote]Well, I could name all those as I guess most people here could..but yes it's scary how little Americans (and its a generalisation but not too much) know about the world. What was the percentage of Americans who couldn't place the US on a world map a few years back? It was quite high.And then there was the British Ambassador at the ball game in North Carolina who had to explain, with Condi Rice helping, that, no, the English monarch hadn't been overthrown in 1776, to more than a few surprised folks.

Jimbo

16. I did it as fast as I could to get a gut reaction rather than a deep thought one which is what i do with all such quizzes. That puts me left of center which is exactly where my politics are.

Roy

I also find it interesting that all us NON-US citizens can even have an opinion in regard to US politics - I mean, could any of you Americans vote on a political poll about Australian, European, UK, etc. politics ? I bet not.[/quote]Freo, that is SO TRUE! Without ANY hesitation I can say that for the last ten years it never has ceased to amaze me just how many non American expats and visitors to Bali are so "in tune," knowledgeable, and informed with what's going on in America, and in particular, the US impact on a myriad of global issues.I have absolutely no doubt that I could put together a group of five expats in just an hour of phone calls, who come from Australia, Germany, Holland, England, and Switzerland, and they would blow the socks off of the vast majority of Americans in their knowledge of American history, culture, and world related issues. That "vast majority" could sorrowfully include current college seniors and post graduate students at most any American university. And yes, that imaginary group of American contestants, (myself included) would do far worse (if that can be imagined) on knowledge of issues of current and of particular interest to rest of the world from their perspective. Sadly, that's no surprise. This is a reality and an embarrassment that I have been living with for the past ten years, and that embarrassment is personal. It's personal because I am an American, and my own background, education, and knowledge of the rest of the world largely came from what I learned as a kid, and up until I turned 18. I didn't learn much then, and it wasn't until my first trip to Europe, on a classic Thomas Cooke tour in 1968 that my eyes started to open. Not to digress, but I often wonder what the vast number of American troops in Iraq, where we clearly don't belong anyway...think of the Iraqi people? I can surely guess, and it wouldn't be much different than the way we thought of the Vietnamese either. Interesting though how many Vietnam vets chose to go back there in recent years. If I say any of this to any of my "non world traveler" friends back in the states, they just don't believe me. One "old friend" now considers me a communist and a traitor. My own sister, almost five years older than me, called our first born son Bima, a "half breed" when I wrote her 8 years ago to share our great news. As you might understand, I haven't any contact with her since. In many ways, moving to Bali long ago was not only a mind opener with my adopted Balinese culture, but also, it was, and continues to be, a mind opener for my own culture. It is that later part that is so sad. One could call my move here, and my years since, an American catharsis. I remain an American, and I remain proud to be an American. I have not, nor ever will, abdicate my American roots. Frankly, I think the world patience with us over the last eight years is from the recognition and profound thanks that many other countries have for our past sacrifices and willingness to be a good neighbor. If we don't wake up, that will wear thin, and soon. Reliance and trust on us is waning world wide, and that will only increase over time. IMHO, great insight Freo, and while your words might be taken by some Americans in the wrong way...they surely weren't by me.

Bert Vierstra

I also find it interesting that all us NON-US citizens can even have an opinion in regard to US politics [/quote]Since the US is interfering with politics all over the world, secretly or or not, its not more than logical.

FreoGirl

This is a reality and an embarrassment that I have been living with for the past ten years, and that embarrassment is personal. It's personal because I am an American, and my own background, education, and knowledge of the rest of the world largely came from what I learned as a kid, and up until I turned 18. I didn't learn much then, and it wasn't until my first trip to Europe, on a classic Thomas Cooke tour in 1968 that my eyes started to open[/quote]But why doesn't the US educate its citizens more about the rest of the world? Why is it not part of your education system and encouraged in every day life? You have lots of immigrants (who have added their uniqueness to the collective :wink: ) that surely would have introduced other cultures and ideas to the US, which in turn stimulates curiosity to learn about other people and cultures.One of the things that is so scary about the US is that it is so insular - with the vast majority of its citizens ignorant to the rest of the world, and in particular how the US impacts the rest of the world. The US seems to be so proud of their way of life, and I've heard it described as the 'best' in many ways on Amercian television - yet compared to what? How can a country say they have the best system when they are so ignorant of others? I don't expect you to answer that Roy, but it just gets me sometimes when I hear that sort of propaganda.Since the US is interfering with politics all over the world, secretly or or not, its not more than logical[/quote]Sure Bert, but it is not recriprocated - for example, when the USSR was inteferring in world politics just as much as the USA, I'm pretty sure the average Joe in the US would have been hard placed to name the major political players in the USSR or know anything about their political system (except that they were a bunch of commies that needed to be stopped). Also, sorry to any US citizens if what I've written is offensive - it is not meant to be - I know that what I've said is a vast generalisation and that there are many, many US citizens who do know quite a lot about the rest of the world, vastly more than me I would suggest. But it is the teeming masses that I'm referring to I guess, and I think the views I've expressed are pretty true.

Roy

But why doesn't the US educate its citizens more about the rest of the world? [/quote]That's your question.And in your own words, here is your answer:One of the things that is so scary about the US is that it is so insular [/quote]Why it is so insular is beyond me to understand. As someone recently pointed out on the US election string, the number of Americans without passports, or ever visiting a foreign country is staggering.