Meet Yourself

Do you think it’s arrogant for a person to call himself a “Politix Pro”?

In fact, that’s a relative term. Obviously, no one could possibly know all there is to know about the political arena.

However, I have done my homework, which includes this website. I’ve learned enough to know that I still have a lot to learn.

Sadly, one of the things I’ve learned is that most people are woefully ignorant of politix—my term for the broad spectrum of politics, including “office politics,” for example. I was once as ignorant as the average U.S. citizen, and possibly even worse.

How do you rate yourself? Do you consider yourself a political expert, beginner or intermediate? How passionate are you about your “belief systems”? Would you risk your life to defend your country, your corrupt government or the Republican Party? Or are you one of those Antifa drones who think they’re fighting against fascism…whatever that is?

Let’s learn a little about you with a short quiz, followed by a questionnaire and a glance at your belief systems. You might be able to cruise through this entire page in fifteen minutes. However, if you would prefer to spend an entire day pondering it, that would be even better. Anyone who wants to understand politix is going to have to learn to exercise their mind. 😉

Quiz ˆ

1. Who was the second richest U.S. pResident after Donald Trump, as well as a slave owner?
2. Which U.S. pResident was very racist, presided over the biggest mass execution in U.S. history, and is believed by some historians to have been a gay Jew?
3. Can you name either of the two 20th century leaders who are commonly credited with killing more people than Adolf Hitler?
4. Who said “The Aryan stock is bound to triumph”?
5. Were the 9/11 terrorist attacks a conspiracy?
6. Which African country became associated with piracy after its fisheries were wiped out by nuclear wastes dumped by other countries?
7. What does the term Demopublican mean?
8. Children are still being born deformed in Vietnam due to the lingering effects of what chemical sprayed on tropical forests by the U.S. military?
9. The space race pitted the U.S. against the Soviet Union. Today, it has turned into a duel between two of the richest people in the world. Can you name either one?
10. Is China ruled by a communist dictatorship?

You can see the answers here.

Questionnaire ˆ

An understanding of politix requires both study and life experience.

Have you studied political science or a related field in school? Have you studied it on your own?

If the answer is “Yes,” good for you. However, even a PhD in PoliSci can be worthless without some life experience to back it up.

Take a look at the questionnaire below. How many questions can you answer “Yes” to?

1. Have you ever marched in a protest or participated in a strike?
2. Have you ever been assaulted by a police officer?
3. Have you ever been banned by Facebook or another social site for exercising your First Amendment (free speech) rights?
4. Have you ever attended a city council meeting?
5. Have you ever attended a school board meeting?
6. Have you ever run for public office?
7. Have you ever voted?
8. Have you ever voted for a candidate who wasn’t a Democrat or a Republican?
9. Do you know what the Federal Reserve is? Do you know you created it, who controls it and what it does?
10. Do you know what the current U.S. national debt is?
11. Do you know what Bill Gates’ motives for promoting vaccinations are?
12. Have you served in the military?
13. Have you ever worked for the federal government?
14. Have you ever worked for state government?
15. Have you ever worked for a big corporation?
16. Have you ever worked as a teacher?
17. Have you ever written an article about politics?
18. Have you ever been attacked by union thugs in the middle of the night and left for dead?
19. Have you ever been the victim of a crime?
20. Have you ever been sexually assaulted?
21. Have you ever suffered on the job harassment or bullying?
22. Were you ever bullied in school?
23. Have you ever been spied on by Google?
24. Have you ever lived in poverty?
25. Are you worried about genetically modified food and that universal pest killer, Roundup?
26. Do you feel like America is increasingly controlled by the rich, for the rich?
27. Do you trust the media?
28. Do you feel like things—from political corruption and corporate tyranny to poverty and environmental ruin—are getting worse, not just in the U.S. but all around the world?
29. Have you ever been called an “anti-Semite” or “antisemitic”?
30. Has your life ever been influenced by conspiracy?

I can answer “Yes” to all but five of these questions. I’ve never attended a city council meeting, I’ve never been assaulted by a police officer and I’ve never been sexually assaulted. Nor do I know Bill Gates’ precise motives regarding vaccinations, though I’m certain they’re not wholesome.

As you might have guessed, I answered “No” to the question about trusting the media.

There is at least one question that everyone has to answer “Yes,” the last one.

Your life is virtually shaped by conspiracy, which is the handmaiden of corruption. It follows you 24/7 from cradle to grave.

It’s a virtual certainty that you’ve been spied on by Google, too. You can answer that question “No” if you’ve never used Google. Otherwise, welcome to the club.

If you’ve never been bullied in school or on the job, then count your blessings.

I’m not proud of myself for enlisting in the military. All I can say in my defense is that I was young and stupid. On the positive side, it was an educational experience.

If you never enlisted, congratulations. Unfortunately, you’re still stuck with the bills for creating ever more exotic and destructive weapons and supporting hundreds of U.S. military bases scattered around the world. And what about the moral aspect; did you support or oppose the destruction of Libya? Of did you just shrug your shoulders?

If you’re an average U.S. citizen, you’re a Facebook addict who’s also being spied on by Google. You’ve probably been bullied both in school and in the work place, and you’re probably a crime victim. If you’re a woman, there’s a very good chance you’re a victim of sexual assault, though even many men fall into this category. You probably don’t have a clue about the Federal Reserve, and you may not even know what the word “antisemitism” means.

Belief Systems ˆ

Many, if not most, people are trapped in “belief systems.” They may be right-wing conservative Christians who love war and government surveillance or Seattle liberals who don’t have a clue about anything.

If you really want to understand politix, you’re going to have to learn to question your belief systems.

Don’t panic!

I’m not saying you’re wrong about everything, or that you have to change. My belief system is similar to what it was before I discovered politics, though I have made some major changes.

Let’s take a quick tour of your belief system.

Do you consider yourself conservative, liberal, independent or something else? Do you vote Republican, Democrat or something else—or do you not vote at all?

Are you patriotic, and do you even know what that means? Do you support capitalism, socialism or something else? How do you feel about communism?

Where would you place yourself on the political compass (below)? If you’re a peace-loving communist living on a remote tropical island, you might fall in the lower left corner. If you’re a big fan of authoritarian rulers who fight bloody wars that help the rich get richer—like Donald Trump, Obama and George W. Bush—you might fall in the top right corner.

Keep in mind that the political compass isn’t perfect and has its critics. We’ll learn more about it later.

Are you religious? If so, what religion do you embrace? If you aren’t religious, are you an agnostic or an atheist? Or are you a spiritual person who worships Mother Earth? Or are you undecided?

Who are some of your biggest heroes and villains?

How do you feel about people like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, Donald Trump, Obama, Muammar Gaddafi, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, Paul Wellstone, Bernie Sanders, Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Alex Jones, Jesse Ventura, Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and Geronimo? Is there ANYONE who has ever stood up to the American empire that you admire?

And that’s it.

This wasn’t a scientific test. It was just an exercise to help you understand how complex and confusing politix can be. It was also designed to make you think about your political ideas and maybe even question some of them. At the very least, you should be able to listen to other people’s ideas and judge them on their own merits.

In summary, you probably know far more about politix than you realize. At the same time, however, you know far less. Even worse, what you do know is largely useless, because you probably don’t know how it all fits together. For example, you might be aware of the staggering corruption in government, but you blame it on either Republicans or Democrats without understanding who controls “our” government.

Politix Pro doesn’t have the answer to everything, but it can help you get your head screwed on straight, just as I was forced to get my head screwed on straight a quarter century ago. Continue your journey with Your Guide.