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To: Recovering_Democrat
One problem with the quiz is that it doesn't allow people to indicate the statements that they feel indifferent or uncertain about. It's hard to tell whether some bald statements are true or not without a lot of thinking. Some of these propositions demand more an essay to clarify the terms and weigh the prose and cons than simple assent or disagreement.

Another problem is that one can feel something to be true in fact without wanting it to be true, or believe that something should be true morally, but recognize that it won't work in practice. What we approve of and what we would allow people to do are often two very different categories. Growing up means recognizing that what we'd want to be true and what we can expect to work out in practice may be two different things. Unfortunately, ideologists of every stripe resist this realization.

Today, in a highly ideological age, it's commonplace to assume that if one deplores or applauds something that one want's to ban or subsidize it and that one wouldn't speak about it at all, if one didn't want to make it prohibited or compulsory. But there are lots of things that one accepts in other people's behavior without agreeing that they are doing what they "should" morally or ideally. People are also used to making blanket claims of what ideally should or shouldn't be. That's fine and necessary, but many of us are looking more at what's possible and practical in the here and now with the resources we have and with human nature being what it is.

13 posted on 04/17/2004 1:32:10 PM PDT by x
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To: All
Economic 6.88
Libertarian/Authoritarin -.10
14 posted on 04/17/2004 1:46:05 PM PDT by governsleastgovernsbest
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