Hey all! Sorry I haven't been making comics lately, I've been busy with school and computer games.
Have I mentioned how much I love the Internet, it is just so great! Speaking of the internet: there is a really popular survey on the CBC website, that supposedly reports where you align on the political spectrum. Left or Right? Conservative or Liberal or NDP or Green Party or Bloc Quebecois? By answering 30 simple questions the magical internet will tell you which party's policies you most identify with, and therefore your political orientation.
Here's the link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/votecompass/
Ok, did you do it? What did you get? I got Green Party. Am I going to vote Green in the upcoming Federal Election? As of now, no.
I think this survey was created with the right intentions, but could potentially be harmful. If you're slightly less informed about politics, this survey can misconstrue your true political intentions.
Let's take a look at the questions:
1. All Canadian troops should be pulled out of Afghanistan immediately
Do you:
a) Strongly agree
b) Somewhat agree
c) Neither agree nor disagree
d) Somewhat disagree
e) Strongly disagree
WTF? How do I answer this?! I think removing ALL the troops IMMEDIATELY, would leave a huge void in the positive power structures we have assisted in developing (for better or worse). I think Canada needs to fulfill its NATO obligation of helping to ensure a democratically elected government. Is the current Afghan President and administration a shill for US interests, or was he actually democratically elected (the Afghan election had one of the lowest turnouts in history)? See, this question is deep. I think Canada needs to quickly wean themselves away from a military presence in Afghanistan. Does this mean I "strongly agree" or "somewhat agree"? Well according to the survey, "strongly agree" aligns me with the NDP, while "somewhat agree" aligns me with the Green Party. There is a difference. Is the difference between the two options expressed in the rapidity that I want troops to leave? How am I to know this?
One of the big criticisms of the survey, is that most people are getting Green Party. Even when people answer the survey from the standpoint of a Quebec separatist, they are aligned with the "Green Party". Maybe the survey creators are geniuses, and most people are actually aligned with the Green Party. Maybe not. All the people I know personally, who have taken the survey, received a Green Party designation.
Example: "The government should fund daycare instead of giving money directly to parents." That's actually two statements, not one, and should be separate questions: "The government should fund daycare" and "The government should not give money directly to parents." Because if you believe the government should fund daycare AND give money directly to parents, there is no way to answer this question. And if you believe the government should not fund daycare AND they should not give money directly to parents, there is also no way to answer it.
And that makes it a trick question. Because anyone who votes NDP will answer this question "Strongly agree" or "Somewhat agree" since we all agree that the Conservatives giving a hundred bucks a month to parents was no fit replacement for universal daycare. But they have placed the NDP into the "neither agree nor disagree" choice because the NDP supports both universal daycare AND giving money directly to parents. If forced to make a choice, you can bet that the NDP would support universal daycare over $100 per month payments to parents, which they roundly criticized at the time. This question makes it seem like the NDP has no position on daycare at all.
Another problem I have with this survey is how it promotes vote splitting among the political left. Lets say you dislike the Conservative government, and want either the Liberals, NDP, or Green to take power. The survey advises you that Green is your best representation. You vote green. Do you demand the Green party takes power, or do you just want the Conservatives out? This is how I see it: a vote for anything except Liberal, is a vote for the Conservatives. All the centre/leftist parties complain about the Harper government, but unless their members come together and negotiate a common platform, all their votes will be split and the Conservatives will win another minority. Honestly, Greens have no chance of winning anything except political awareness. If a bunch of people vote Green out of protest, it will send a message, but the Conservatives will be more likely to win. message deleted.
Over all, I feel this survey is a useful tool for spreading political awareness. Maybe you were questioning your political affiliation beforehand, and the survey helped to clarify each parties position. But just keep in mind: who is conducting the survey? and what are the flaws in the questions?
(p.s. CBC is generally regarded as more Liberal/left of centre)
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