http://www.lp.org/issues/platform/compare/

One of the downsides of America's Debate is I get hooked on those stupid quizzes that claim to be able to identify you.
So I take the one on the LP site and it tells me I am a Libertarian and a Green.
I took it twice and each time one was slightly higher than the other.


Are the two even compatible?

Anyone know of any Social Libertarians?

The basic difference I think between libertarian and green are that, one wants to protect personal freedoms right now, that being the libertarian. And the other wants to protect personal freedoms of their grandchildren's grandchildren. The only real way to do that is to be responsible for the piece of the world we are given.

Monty

As a sucker for these type things, I of course took the poll;

My top two alignments were:

Green 245/350
Libertarian 195/350

I've always considered myself a practical man, though these alignments aren't inconsistent with 1) my my views on environmental responsibility and 2) my views on state v federal gov't., as well as personal freedoms.

Sorry for implying something left unsaid:

Until they come up with the [Insert Your Name] Political Party, each party is going to be a compromise of your particular ideals. I don't feel particularly schizophrenic (most days at least), and my particular set of beliefs seem to match the platform stances of the Green Party and the Libertarian Party more than the Republican and Democratic Parties.

The two parties (Greens & Libertarians) are compatible on certain issues, incompatible on others.

For all I know I might be a Social Libertarian, though I like the idea of being a libertarian more than the idea of being a socialist.

If the commercial contracts that seem to drive the libertarian ideal encompassed all total life-cycle costs, I don't think the greens would have much to complain about. This is almost practically impossible though.

As far as my socialist leanings, they largely come about through my perception that without a unionized workforce, there is a market failure of asymmetrical information between the employer and the employee. My 'social safety net' would be set a lot lower than most, though I agree we all benefit from having it; therefore we all would incur the costs of not having it...which makes it an externality not dealt with in a pure, unregulated, free market.

Also, I changed my political party from 'none' to 'independent' .

I think if you oppose both corporate and individual welfare in that test most libertarians will find the Green platform listed as their second choice. I too had the Green platform come in second. It is a lousy test.

It looks to me like a lot of people get hung up between the Libertarian and Green parties soley on the issue of environment. Do you guys believe a Libertarian society would just annihilate the planet? It's obvious that a lot of people have been scared so bad that they believe their neighbors hate the Earth and are going to try to destroy it the first chance some politician in Washington doesn't make a law to stop them. Libertarians would hold people responsible for their actions. If someone dumped waste into a river and people got sick, or someone else's property was damaged (including wildlife), those individuals would be held accountable for their actions. If a factory spewed out horrible waste into the air and it landed on my property, I could sue and let a jury decide in a Libertarian society. Right now, the US Government is the #1 polluter on Earth according to its own EPA... proving that government policing of the environment doesn't work.

The highest possible rating is 700.

The highest possible rating, given the importance you assigned each issue, is 390.

You rated the Democratic stances 108.

You rated the Green stances 183.

You rated the Libertarian stances 306.

You rated the Republican stances 170.


Hmm, just as I suspected, there is no party I agree with completely but the Libertarian Party is by far the closest.

Pretty good idea for a test. To improvie it's accuracty I think it mainly needs to be longer and include more issues, though that might make it too long for most people to finish it.

My results came out as I suspected as well -- I'm definitely a Green, and also very political in general, it seems.




Are the two even compatible?

There are a few compatible issues, such as the war on drugs and corporate welfare, but I think there are too many major incompatibilities as well as their platforms now stand.

It does seem to me that there's room on the spectrum for a party that take the best of what the Greens and Libertarians have to offer. I don't know of a any group calling themselves Social Libertarians, but it would be great to see a party like that. Or maybe you could call the group "Green Liberty" or "Liberty Greens" -- a party that was a hybrid of the two would have a lot of appeal to many people I know.

I can certainly see the appeal of many aspects of the Greens and the Libertarians. I think a "Green Libertarian" might be best defined by what she opposes rather than by what she supports. I am most strongly opposed to the agenda of the Religious Right, who are certainly anti-Green and anti-Libertarian.