Gamers Tend to Be More Libertarian, According to Survey

[Happiness Assassin]

The thing about Libertarians is that they are defined more by what they don't want than what they do want. This gives rise to large swaths of people who hold completely incompatible view points under a single umbrella term. People join political parties for different reasons and when the main reason to join one party is "keep government out of X", what X is is completely up to the individual.

From purely anecdotal evidence, it appears to me that the most "organized" group of Libertarians (and I use the term "organized" loosely) are those who do not trust the government with anything and tend to see any kind of new law as infringing on people's rights. It also seems to be the party of choice of conspiracy theorists (Alex Jones AKA "that guy your crazy friend won't shut the fuck up about").

 

[Callate]

It's just weird to have supposed public servants harping about the dangers of video games, marijuana, and gay marriage while there are banks illegally foreclosing on people's homes and massive foodborne illness outbreaks nearly every year.

I know that not dying or being thrown out of your home isn't as sexy for someone seeking re-election as virtual carnage, weed, and the gays, but criminy. Priorities, for heaven's sake.

 

[manic_depressive13]

Perhaps I'm missing something here but what the fuck is with that accompanying image? It's not even in the linked article, which would have at least explained, if not justified, why you would include an image that reinforces extremely negative stereotypes about women.

Edit: Oh, it's the cover of one of their magazines. Gross.

 

[The Wykydtron]

Yeah what's the sample size? Which country/countries were involved? I like the idea and stats and think it makes sense but there's actually not too much information represented here. By the linked article it looks like US only.

This is really not helping the meanspirted "America = world" jokes we Europeans/Brits can and do throw at you. Just saiyan.

 

[weirdee]

dear libertarian magazine,

please do not associate my dislike of useless legislation with your desire to dismantle society for self gain

i have seen your libertarian "counterdocumentaries" that use terrible clipart and a pretentious voiceover in order to attempt riding on trends as if you owned them, and i couldn't nope fast enough

thank you and good night

 

[Vault101]

Perhaps I'm missing something here but what the fuck is with that accompanying image? It's not even in the linked article, which would have at least explained, if not justified, why you would include an image that reinforces extremely negative stereotypes about women.

Edit: Oh, it's the cover of one of their magazines. Gross.

it looks likea redone promo image from GTA V is seems

[sub/]you know I do not weep that it has not come to PC yet[/sub]

anyway, my knowelege of politics is shaky at best but libertarians are...like the worst...you can't make it past a certain age without the depressingly evident fact that if anything end goal is profit people will get fucked over...

...I imagine they are all Ferengi

 

[manic_depressive13]

it looks likea redone promo image from GTA V is seems

Yeah but they did all this editing to make the man look more respectable (suit, questionable items like bikini poster removed from background, changing the finger to make him appear less rude). Meanwhile they didn't change the woman at all to fit the new tone. It looks like he just got back from work and this lady is in her underwear nagging him. If they wanted to represent the "average modern gamer" they should have removed the woman altogether, or made her look fifty years older. As it stands she doesn't look at all like his mum.

 

[MatsVS]

anyway, my knowelege of politics is shaky at best but libertarians are...like the worst...you can't make it past a certain age without the depressingly evident fact that if anything end goal is profit people will get fucked over...

Indeed. In the literary blogosphere, it's already been well established that there's not a single subject of debate that won't be made infinitely worse the moment a libertarian decides to contribute. Just the absolute worst. So I guess this makes sense, if we consider the overall quality of discussions in gamer circles.

 

[Drejer43]

I imagine an European survey would be quite different

 

[maxben]

Wait wait, are you telling me that a libertarian magazine belonging to a libertarian think tank that published the list of "Defenders of Freedom" which included Ayn Rand, Dennis Rodman, and Richard Nixon (also Madonna for some reason), found that gamers are libertarian? Colour me surprised.

I wonder what the Socialist People's Workers magazine would find in a similar poll.

 

[Vault101]

it looks likea redone promo image from GTA V is seems

Yeah but they did all this editing to make the man look more respectable (suit, questionable items like bikini poster removed from background, changing the finger to make him appear less rude). Meanwhile they didn't change the woman at all to fit the new tone. It looks like he just got back from work and this lady is in her underwear nagging him. If they wanted to represent the "average modern gamer" they should have removed the woman altogether, or made her look fifty years older. As it stands she doesn't look at all like his mum.

I dont know what the image is for (a libertarian magazine) so I'm not sure what they were going for

weather way its a loathsome image to go along with a loathsome ideology

 

[jklinders]

I try to be as centrist as possible. I believe in the free market correcting itself whenever possible but hate it when capitalism gets too greedy and out of control, that's when I believe the government needs to step in with the appropriate regulations. It's a fine balancing act where all sides have to be considered and the bullshit needs to be thrown out.

There were a few other surprises, however, such as the fact that a fifth of all gamers are over the age of 55.

Holy shit, really?

Depends on how the magazine is defining "gamer." My mom plays Farmville. To me that qualifies as casual gamer. She does play video games but I cannot imagine that many here would consider that casual ftp games like that qualify. It looks like they glossed over that difference a fair bit in the article.

On topic.

Looks like they loaded the questions in that survey to give answers that they could interpret the way they wanted it. Of course a late night gamer is going to be more likely to indulge and favor energy drinks than someone who is not dumping multiple hours a week in an MMO.

Interpreting opposition to drug bans as libertarianism is a little suspect to me. I oppose bans to pot as a matter of principle, I don't use it, could care less about it's legality. But there is less need to ban it than tobacco or alcohol, both of whose impact on society is far more harmful. I'm in favor of food labeling for better informed shopping choices. That would lean me towards being in favor of regulation. The way they are reading the data is contradictory in my case.

More people identifying as independent would be more of an increasing sign of voter apathy than anything else.

What does the question "Do you support the use of Bitcoins?" even mean in the larger scheme of what they are spinning here? I would say the better question is, do you trust the value and worth of a currency that is a made up product of some mathematician which varies wildly and uncontrollably in value and cannot be easily or reliably be tracked or cashed in? I'm not against the use of Canadian Tire money [http://www.allnumis.com/community-currency/canada/3-cents-canadian-tire-1974-44], but I'm not going to expect it to have real world value in my wallet.

I guess like many "surveys" I do not trust the motives of the survey givers enough to really look at this as anything more than a fluff piece.

 

[Talvrae]

Well can,t say i'm really that surprised... I am a libertatian and many of my friends also are.
Just too bad in Québec, or in all canada for what it matter we Libertarian don,t really have an option that talk to us

 

[Nikolaz72]

I imagine an European survey would be quite different

Yea, I believe so too. I mean, the E.U voted Net Neutrality into law, which compromises certain components of the international trade agreement in the works with the U.S <_<. Another reason I don't think it's going to go through, half the population disagrees because it's Government Regulation being pushed by the Opposition (Republicans) And a damn good size of said opposition opposes attempts to regulate the Internet because they -Use- it.

Only ones I actually see support this are the ISP's.

 

[Doclector]

Seems obvious to me. Think about most of the people who have shit on videogaming over the years. Often, they'll be further to the right on the political scale. Logically, this would drive many gamers in the opposite direction.

 

[Colt47]

What about those of us who play games and don't associate with a specific political group? o O;

 

[carpathic]

1: Nobody, regardless of political affiliations, actually likes having things they like regulated. Regulation has a stigma about it that makes people associate it with censorship (usually for good reason).

On point 1. This is actually a "new" attitude that has been brought about mainly by the influence of rich conservatives who don't want their businesses regulated. If one were to go back to the roaring twenties etc and the time of monopolies many people WANTED and indeed DEMANDED regulation. That is why we ended up with a government that started to regulate things like how many hours in a week you can work or minimum wage, or even anti-discrimination laws. So, to say no one likes regulation is incorrect - I have no desire to have an 80 hour work week or to be paid less than minimum wage. Capitalists/libertarians can say all they would like that the market would correct, but I would say that traditionally it either hasn't or has moved very slowly. Perhaps, regulation is how the market corrected itself?

I suspect that as we continue to lose more jobs overseas and the "race to the bottom" that companies seem to be demanding accelerates despite slackening regulation that we will start to lose the libertarianism that seems to have permeated some levels of society.

 

[RaggedKarma]

This survey is hilarious. Next they'll be asking children if their parents should be in charge of their ice cream intake, and chalk it up to a new generation of libertarians.

 

[BonGookKumBop]

I imagine an European survey would be quite different

Yea, I believe so too. I mean, the E.U voted Net Neutrality into law, which compromises certain components of the international trade agreement in the works with the U.S <_<. Another reason I don't think it's going to go through, half the population disagrees because it's Government Regulation being pushed by the Opposition (Republicans) And a damn good size of said opposition opposes attempts to regulate the Internet because they -Use- it.

Only ones I actually see support this are the ISP's.

Net Neutrality is an interesting subject and I'm not entirely convinced about where I stand on it. It is a great principle and the internet should be a place where thoughts can be shared without external groups getting in the way. In the US, people that support net neutrality worry that ISPs will affect how well the internet runs if left to their own devices. Those that oppose net neutrality fear that the government will use their regulatory power to affect how well sites run to bury opposing voices - Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

After reading this article, I'm surprised that more gamers aren't split on this issue. Gamers tend to discourage regulation and 60% of gamers believe police officers are given too much leeway in disseminating their duties. Despite this, most gamers I've talked to support net neutrality. Extra Credits even claimed that they couldn't think of any reason to oppose net neutrality. Do they not trust government to regulate, but want to let them police ISPs, or do they just trust ISPs less than government? Like I said, I think the idea is a good idea, but I don't know if the law will be executed as writen.