When you hear the words "freedom isn't free" someone is usually being sent overseas to kill for profits. The phrase has a deeper intent.
What is the price of freedom?
Now, I don't want ramble on about this - it gets political, existential, philosophical, sociological, anecdotal, all that stuff, freeness does. I'm going to try to keep this to a couple skeletal notes on the political.
What the price to society, and what the essence of political freedom, are.
Freedom is a threat to order and security; to government and society. Always. Intrinsically. For all the froth spewing out of the mouths of politicians, pundits, papers, and the people you know, that's rarely expressed. You don't badmouth freedom around here; but. Freedom is dangerous. And uncomfortable. Mostly, you don't like it when you see it.
Why not walk naked in the street? Why not shoot heroin? Why not trade sexual access for goods? Why not live without money?
What's the difference between shorts-and-a-tank-top, and a burqa?
I leave you to those arguments. Do you hear yourself?
Freedom of speech - the anchor of American liberty. Forty-five words:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
"No law." None. Forget the government, who are sure as shit not going to let that mandate - that promise - go unchecked. On how much of that will you sign off? Anybody can say anything about anything anywhere at any time, under the law. No exceptions?
Again, I leave you to identify what you would not allow said, where, when, and by whom.
That's one. Now:
Who owns you? The first law of human autonomy is the right to suicide. You belong to yourself; you are not the property of the government or the community.
If you want to throw your life away, to waste it, to go to hell in any kind of basket, to be a basket case, who has the right to stop you? It's your life.
The “social contract.” You are free until you injure, or take freedom from, another. A hard line to define. I'm not going to argue this one either. If you kill yourself, who has the most stake in that act? Society, or you?
The cost of freedom is security and comfort.
Have you ever wondered how it would feel to be really free? Where the only block is real, direct, injury to another human? It's a heady exercise.
Or, further, forget all governance, go to the Darien Gap. To live - for as long as you can - by no law but your own. Free
What is the price of freedom?
Now, I don't want ramble on about this - it gets political, existential, philosophical, sociological, anecdotal, all that stuff, freeness does. I'm going to try to keep this to a couple skeletal notes on the political.
What the price to society, and what the essence of political freedom, are.
Freedom is a threat to order and security; to government and society. Always. Intrinsically. For all the froth spewing out of the mouths of politicians, pundits, papers, and the people you know, that's rarely expressed. You don't badmouth freedom around here; but. Freedom is dangerous. And uncomfortable. Mostly, you don't like it when you see it.
Why not walk naked in the street? Why not shoot heroin? Why not trade sexual access for goods? Why not live without money?
What's the difference between shorts-and-a-tank-top, and a burqa?
I leave you to those arguments. Do you hear yourself?
Freedom of speech - the anchor of American liberty. Forty-five words:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
"No law." None. Forget the government, who are sure as shit not going to let that mandate - that promise - go unchecked. On how much of that will you sign off? Anybody can say anything about anything anywhere at any time, under the law. No exceptions?
Again, I leave you to identify what you would not allow said, where, when, and by whom.
That's one. Now:
Who owns you? The first law of human autonomy is the right to suicide. You belong to yourself; you are not the property of the government or the community.
If you want to throw your life away, to waste it, to go to hell in any kind of basket, to be a basket case, who has the right to stop you? It's your life.
The “social contract.” You are free until you injure, or take freedom from, another. A hard line to define. I'm not going to argue this one either. If you kill yourself, who has the most stake in that act? Society, or you?
The cost of freedom is security and comfort.
Have you ever wondered how it would feel to be really free? Where the only block is real, direct, injury to another human? It's a heady exercise.
Or, further, forget all governance, go to the Darien Gap. To live - for as long as you can - by no law but your own. Free
