printCertain litmus tests, I have found, are quite good in gauging people vis-à-vis liberty.
Homeschoolers are definitely non-statists and more likely to be friendly to freedom and politically incorrect.
Religious people too. The deeply religious are more likely to have a problem with the state than the irreligious. Faith and family have always been countervailing to the state.
Young men, and the odd woman, with a libertarian bent: If you’re looking for a partner or just a painless date, steer clear of a potential suitor if he or she drives a Toyota Prius, or any other Commie Car. A Prius driver is bound to be a real stinker.
Used Mustang for the win. [Explain]
Piercings and tattoos are an effective inoculation against my interest. I am pleased that I am in agreement with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in regard to this.
Oh, I forgot to mention, Ilana, that I agree with your litmus tests. [What are yours?]
Explanation:
Used cars? They are, of course, less expensive. Sport cars in general and Mustangs in particular? Well, they look and drive great. They don’t have to be V8 or anything; I’d have no practical reason to ever exceed 80 MPH, anyway! And as far as I know, Ford cars are American-made (or maybe even that has changed).
Working for the state in any way.
America Idol, pets and sloganeering may seem insignificant but from my recent experiences they are causes for concern. If they show anything beyond a casual interest in Idol, forget it. If they talk about Idol or pets while you’re talking on the phone, run. If they say things like, “It takes a Village” get a restraining order.
The tat thing isn’t the end of the world but I’ve yet to see one women who looks better because of tats. I often have the feeling that it’s misdirection?
[Pets is a good litmus test; a man with a fetish for his pet is a turn-off. He’s been queered for sure.–IM]
A Prius driver is either economically ignorant or attempting to gain status among the economically ignorant. [Or the babes, don’t you think?] Fuel efficiency is only one factor in the total cost/mile. You also have to factor in purchase price, maintenance, expected longevity. Almost any four-banger compact beats it.
On the environmental side, a Prius has a huge toxic battery and two drive trains. Also it is more likely to be driven more and farther, resulting in no fewer CO2 emissions. The reason why is called the Jevons Paradox, after economist William Stanley Jevons. It’s a fascinating read on wikipedia.
[Good point about the leaking batteries in the landfills; I mentioned it in Commie Car too.–IM]
Oh, and my litmus test is a car with more than one bumper sticker. [Oh dear; I have a Ron Paul sticker on mine.–IM]
My wife casually mentioned Atlas Shrugged to me and suggested I read her copy. I read it and when I told her how much I loved the book she knew I was the one. [Another excellent test.–IM]
Long fingernails advertise uselessness, especially if ornately decorated.
Tanning booth tans, along with the above, demonstrate where priorities lie and indicate willingness to devote considerable time and money to vanity. These women are out to impress each other.
Tramp stamps that look like Chrysler hood ornaments for Harley Davidson
across the small of the back make me wonder about the circumstances under which one would be admiring them; for me, they spoil the view. These women are trying to attract men that will treat them mean.
American Idol I can forgive (it’s music and some talent might show up); but Dancing With The Stars, Oprah and the like, or any soap opera reflect a value system that is alien to me and forever beyond my comprehension. One other thing I have discovered is that I am not compatible with women who hate or don’t understand the Three Stooges, Monty Python, or Red Green.
While having lunch at a local pub one day, I overhead a pair of vain women with tats, booth tans, and two inch nails agreeing with each other that the first thing they look at is a man’s shoes. They pass him by if he isn’t wearing expensive, new shoes. Looking down at my comfortable work shoes, gouged and worn, but insulated, waterproof, and electrically insulated with steel toes, I had to agree.
On the other hand, my life is ample demonstration that I am not an expert.
re. Bumper stickers, I have two:
“Ron Paul, a good man, the good choice.”
“When in doubt, vote them out”
I guess it depends on the message, n’est pas?
I read The Fountainhead and loved it. Great writing, great characters, no lecturing – everything came through the action of the story. It was a great book from start to finish.
Confession: started Atlas Shrugged and never finished. Seemed like another version of The Fountainhead. Strong characters butting heads with sniveling bleeding-heart wusses. The one character who had been a briliant student before losing heart (you know, the guy who was ruining Rearden Metal and the RR from behind the scenes) was interesting, but I just couldn’t maintain interest, in spite of the fact that it’s supposedly Rand’s master work.
I am preparing to duck now. [Not at all; I also loved the Fountainhead.]
The Mrs. and I own 2 Toyota Corollas, not because we’re particularly concerned about gas mileage, but because they’re relatively inexpensive, reliable cars.
Any woman who wanted to dictate what I can do with my time was out the door at the get-go. Thank God I got a good one. I’m a lucky man.
Since you won’t be free for long if guns are illegal, I have found gun ownership to be a highly reliable litmus test. (When’s the last time you saw a bunch of well-armed slaves?)
[Great, great point.–IM]
I hope I don’t get in trouble for saying this, but I wouldn’t consider it THE litmus test if she drives a hybrid car. Nothing else taken into account, it at least signifies that she considers rejection of crass materialism important. It just means she’s ignorant of the plain and simple facts of the matter. The TRUE litmus test is if the bumper sticker on the back of said hybrid presents some sort of left-liberal platitude. Oh, and virtually no decent person on this earth buys intentionally ripped jeans; pass up on all that.
As far as Atlas Shrugged? Well, I’ve never read the book, but I’d rather dismiss anything that was the product of that woman or her philosophy. Now, someone who enjoyed reading Erik von Kuenhelt-Liddihn’s “Menace of the Herd” or a Vernor Vinge novel? That’s a true winner. [Why either/or? Why not both?–IM]
Mrs. Mercer,
I didn’t mean to present any either/or scenario. Someone can certainly like both.
Anyone blatantly “out of the closet” is usually not interested in someone else’s liberty to, for instance, not hire or associate with them. The free market, such as it was, before “anti-discrimination laws”, protected such rights of free association.
Feminists…
I loathe how they’re so willing to lead us down a path of cultural Marxism.