Left vs. Right Data Visualization

[Descartes]

My first P&N post!

I just wanted to share this from a talented data visualization person: http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/leftvright_US.html

From my perspective, knowing that I share many conservative and progressive views, I think it's a great depiction. I think it accurately captures the core philosophical views of both sides of the table.

Anyway, enjoy, and hopefully you take it for what it is and not in some critical manner. Data visualization is a great way to demonstrate what can be otherwise extremely complex.

 

[yllus]

Very nice.

The leftist statement that equality > freedom is a bit chilling. Eep.

 

[ProfJohn]

Some good stuff on there and fairly accurate I would think.

Especially the part about equality.
Democrats believe in the equality of outcomes.
Republicans believe in the equality of opportunity.

 

[LumbergTech]

Some good stuff on there and fairly accurate I would think.

Especially the part about equality.
Democrats believe in the equality of outcomes.
Republicans believe in the equality of opportunity.

If by equality of opportunity you mean stacking the deck.

 

[Patranus]

Interesting.

The main difference in the first level is that conservatives look to the past while the liberal looks towards the future.

What is that old saying about history is bound to repeat itself...

 

[Jaskalas]

Some good stuff on there and fairly accurate I would think.

Especially the part about equality.
Democrats believe in the equality of outcomes.
Republicans believe in the equality of opportunity.

One of those requires tyranny to achieve.

 

[ElFenix]

Some good stuff on there and fairly accurate I would think.

Especially the part about equality.
Democrats believe in the equality of outcomes.
Republicans believe in the equality of opportunity.

actually it's that inequality of outcomes is evidence of inequality of opportunity. but hack on, good brother!

 

[ProfJohn]

If by equality of opportunity you mean stacking the deck.

Really??

Who stacks the deck??

The richest men in America are almost all self made. Who stacked the deck for Gates, Buffet, Sam Walton, Ellison etc etc?

How about the google guys? Or Bezos? Or Bob Johnson of BET fame?

The idea that you have to have the deck stacked in your favor to succeed is utter bullshit. Millions of Americans start with nothing an amass great fortunes through lots of hard work and a little bit of luck.

At the other end of the spectrum are people who fail because they do little hard work and sit around waiting for lots of luck.

 

[Genx87]

If by equality of opportunity you mean stacking the deck.

You dont think the deck gets stacked when the govt dictates equality? Really? Is that why democrats couldnt wait to hand trillions to the banking industry and then turn around 15 months later and hand trillions to the insurance industry? All the while making middle America pay for it?

 

[ElFenix]

Really??

Who stacks the deck??

The richest men in America are almost all self made. Who stacked the deck for Gates, Buffet, Sam Walton, Ellison etc etc?

How about the google guys? Or Bezos? Or Bob Johnson of BET fame?

quoting outliers who make up less than 1/100th of 1% of the american population is no way to win a war about statistics.

You dont think the deck gets stacked when the govt dictates equality? Really? Is that why democrats couldnt wait to hand trillions to the banking industry and then turn around 15 months later and hand trillions to the insurance industry? All the while making middle America pay for it?

damn that democrat george bush for handing trillions to the banking industry

 

[CycloWizard]

actually it's that inequality of outcomes is evidence of inequality of opportunity. but hack on, good brother!

Inequality of outcomes can arise in two ways:
1. Inequality of opportunity, and
2. Inequality of participants.

The left appears to try to map all of the unequal outcomes back to 1 while ignoring 2 altogether. The right does the opposite. Maybe the founding fathers are to blame by assuming that all men are created equal.

 

[yllus]

Really??

Who stacks the deck??

The richest men in America are almost all self made. Who stacked the deck for Gates, Buffet, Sam Walton, Ellison etc etc?

How about the google guys? Or Bezos? Or Bob Johnson of BET fame?

The idea that you have to have the deck stacked in your favor to succeed is utter bullshit. Millions of Americans start with nothing an amass great fortunes through lots of hard work and a little bit of luck.

At the other end of the spectrum are people who fail because they do little hard work and sit around waiting for lots of luck.

I wouldn't call Bill Gates "self made". The opportunities afforded to him that allowed him to get ahead of the pack are one in a hundred million.

 

[Genx87]

damn that democrat george bush for handing trillions to the banking industry

I dont think you will find many people who are looking for a smaller govt and balanced budget singing praises for Bush. So I dont know what is your point. Unless you are claiming because Bush pushed through a bank bailout with a more than eager democrat congress it somehow neutralizes my point. Then I think you are mistaken.

 

[Atreus21]

That's pretty neat.

 

[nonlnear]

No offense, but that isn't data visualization. Data visulaization (at least strictly construed) requires actual data. It's more of an idea map. These things have their place, but its important to take it for what it is and nothing more. As such it betrays more about the prejudices of the mapper than anything truly insightful about its content. That can still be a useful insight, but it's dangerous to misconstrue the nature of one's conclusions. Just sayin'...

Cliffs: The left/right paradigm can still pass for insight? SRSLY?

 

[Atreus21]

No offense, but that isn't data visualization. Data visulaization (at least strictly construed) requires actual data. It's more of an idea map. These things have their place, but its important to take it for what it is and nothing more. As such it betrays more about the prejudices of the mapper than anything truly insightful about its content. Just sayin'...

Cliffs: The left/right paradigm can still pass for insight? SRSLY?

Actually, I didn't think the mapper exposed much prejudice in the picture. I thought it was on a reasonably even keel.

 

[nonlnear]

Actually, I didn't think the mapper exposed much prejudice in the picture. I thought it was on a reasonably even keel.

You are interpreting the concept of "prejudice" from within the paradigm of the mapper: that a "prejudice" means misrepresenting where in this [false] dichotomy various pieces should fit. That is the prejudice. I don't mean prejudice in a pejorative sense; only to describe the simple fact that the perspective we bring to our observations has a major impact on what we perceive as significant.

edit: To be fair, following the original link, the creator of the graphic did not misrepresent its nature. On the actual page, it is properly described as a concept map, not a visualization of data.

 

[cubeless]

what a load of shit... how in the hell can you not take it in a critical manner??? it's an exercise in condescending polarization... it portrays the left in all warm and fuzzy terms and the right in all harsh, evil terms...

any chance the creator is a "progressive", ya think?

 

[ElFenix]

I dont think you will find many people who are looking for a smaller govt and balanced budget singing praises for Bush. So I dont know what is your point. Unless you are claiming because Bush pushed through a bank bailout with a more than eager democrat congress it somehow neutralizes my point. Then I think you are mistaken.

doesn't neutralize but does neuter. you can't claim the democrats were responsible for something but ignore the republican president pushing it through. well, you can. hack on, good brother!

(and of course, that's to say nothing at all of picking winners and losers by taking money at gunpoint and using it to spend on aircraft carriers, unnecessary wars, etc. see, both republicans and democrats do it)

 

[Moonbeam]

You are interpreting the concept of "prejudice" from within the paradigm of the mapper: that a "prejudice" means misrepresenting where in this [false] dichotomy various pieces should fit. That is the prejudice. I don't mean prejudice in a pejorative sense; only to describe the simple fact that the perspective we bring to our observations has a major impact on what we perceive as significant.

Yes, and it is quite clear from the representation that both sides believe in the good.

When you know that what you know is good you can't see anything else.

If you are going to ever have any semblance of objectivity it will require the destruction of everything you hold sacred. Only he or she who has practiced the unlearning of all they were taught and hold as unconscious assumptions can see without unconscious bias.

 

[Atreus21]

You are interpreting the concept of "prejudice" from within the paradigm of the mapper: that a "prejudice" means misrepresenting where in this [false] dichotomy various pieces should fit. That is the prejudice. I don't mean prejudice in a pejorative sense; only to describe the simple fact that the perspective we bring to our observations has a major impact on what we perceive as significant.

edit: To be fair, following the original link, the creator of the graphic did not misrepresent its nature. On the actual page, it is properly described as a concept map, not a visualization of data.

Well, then there is no way not to prejudge. That seems obvious.

My prejudiced opinion is that this was made in as fair a manner as possible, because the results seemed balanced.

 

[bfdd]

Inequality of outcomes can arise in two ways:
1. Inequality of opportunity, and
2. Inequality of participants.

The left appears to try to map all of the unequal outcomes back to 1 while ignoring 2 altogether. The right does the opposite. Maybe the founding fathers are to blame by assuming that all men are created equal.

When they said all men are created equal they didn't mean all men can accomplish the same thing. Notice the OUTCOME part. It's that they should not be hampered by anything they were born with or without. Being born poor or rich doesn't matter, everyone should be afforded the same opportunities... if they can afford it.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Bleh...all I see are 2 stereotypes and I fit neither.

 

[Moonbeam]

what a load of shit... how in the hell can you not take it in a critical manner??? it's an exercise in condescending polarization... it portrays the left in all warm and fuzzy terms and the right in all harsh, evil terms...

any chance the creator is a "progressive", ya think?

Hate yourself much? Warm and fuzzy makes me sick and harsh and evil suits me to a tee, but I didn't see that in the chart. All I saw was a pretty straightforward description of reality using unloaded terms.

Anyway, now that you know you're an asshole in your own eyes, maybe your ready for change.

 

[nonlnear]

Yes, and it is quite clear from the representation that both sides believe in the good.

When you know that what you know is good you can't see anything else.

If you are going to ever have any semblance of objectivity it will require the destruction of everything you hold sacred. Only he or she who has practiced the unlearning of all they were taught and hold as unconscious assumptions can see without unconscious bias.

Both sides believe that they are aware of something which they choose to call good. Both are a lie. In fact, the existence of the sides is a lie, built on the awkwardly constructed landscape of our specific incarnation of a deeply flawed political machine.

I take this simple observation which we both agree on (I think) and take it in a slightly different direction than you. Don't protest now. You know we both believe in the good!

And I think you might be buying into a tiny granule of oh so subtle vanity by claiming that there is a process which can lead to the abolition of all unconscious bias. What a dangerous belief to hold! We all have our subtle vanities, so please don't take it as an insult. It's simply an observation of humanity. The most dangerous vanity and bias of all is to believe oneself to be free of vanity and bias...