I notice a tendency on the internet for individuals to describe themselves as "moderate" when they cannot neatly fit into the box of left or right. The assumption seems to be that if you aren't left, and aren't right, moderate must be the only choice.

What's funny, though, is that as I evaluate my position on various issues, I couldn't describe myself as a "moderate" anything. On most individual issues, I go to extremes. This is where I sit. On some issues, my stance may be perceived as "extreme left"; on others, "extreme right". But on all, I truly hope to advocate for liberty and rights for all. Sure, I may miss the boat on a few individual positions in someone's eyes, but I feel that it could fairly be said that I usually take the "pro liberty position", be it left or right.

The reason we are stuck with "moderate" as opposed to "left" or "right" is because we have been conditioned to see politics on a simple linear scale, rather than a more complex scale. The truth is, most people simply don't fit on a linear scale if you analyze all of their positions objectively. "The World's Smallest Political Quiz" (accessible online at www.lp.org) is one effective way of showing political positions beyond the linear left/right model. And what's interesting on it, is, it proves my point in no small way.

On it I rank as QUITE extreme. Extreme Libertarian (or, as I'm fond of saying, "More Libertarian than Ayn Rand")