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AUTHOR: JON WHITE
LOCATION: FRANKFORT INDIANA
DATE: February 18th 2008
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Between Freedom and Slavery
(2-18-07)
Freedom is celebrated, Slavery derided.
It’s been the call of all human beings, of all colors, for as far back as we know. Yet, there is a feeling in this country, that after all of our struggles, all of our arguments, and all of our appeals to vanity, freedom as a whole has never even been attempted.
To understand what I am going to say, accordingly, perhaps a look into the definitions of “Freedom”, and “Slavery”, are in order:
FREEDOM - the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints
SLAVERY - bondage: the state of being under the control of another person
If you are thinking clearly, and using the above definitions, it should be very easy to define what is freedom, and what is slavery, as they are opposing concepts. Unlike many, I do not believe in good and bad human beings. Currently, I am rooted more in the idea that a human’s environment and influences, shape much of what they believe, and much of what they do and do not do.
This is not to say that we cannot hold people responsible for their actions. But, what formed the individual, and what led to the action, must be a vital question to be asked.
With this thought in mind, it’s pretty certain we have all encountered various human beings, who do not, in our minds, have the good judgment to think on their own. Some of us feel it is our duty to protect these people, and shield them, from others and themselves. This could be construed as slavery, as the word “slavery”, like other concepts and words, evolve over time.
If you were the King or Queen of a country, and you had very large swaths of people with varying and differing ideas, how exactly do you establish order? If everyone does not believe as you do, you are going to have a tough time getting people to do what you seek. Not to mention, if you do not come from a position of power, or force, you may look weak. If that is the case, it leaves little power to establish order, or even effective central planning.
It has been argued heavily, that leaders should not push citizens to the point of radicalization. This is because you don’t want to demoralize or derail the person who is doing the producing. You don’t want to kill their spirit, or their work ethic, because that will in turn destroy the very production you desire as a leader.
As the old maxim goes, you can’t get golden eggs, if you destroy the goose.
So, slavery HAS evolved. You may not have a chain around your neck, but chances are that a chain is across your heart. We have slaves in all walks of life. We have all witnessed brilliant, independent thinking people, who are handcuffed all day long.
If I were to use myself as an example, I could be slave to the readers of this article. I could be a slave to my advertisers, and not pen material against their interests. I could be a slave to the local and federal government officials, and watch my every word.
The politician might have great ideas, but be a slave to his party. It’s possible he/she would never let the world know about any of them, simply because those ideas conflict with the party ideology, or the public at large. A city worker might know about corruption at high levels, but will never speak, because they are a slave to the fear and consequences of those possible actions.
Having the right to choose your response makes you a free person. It’s the choices you make, after the fact, that determine whether you are following a path of freedom or slavery.
This is a matter of life or death for our country and our people. I could use a governmental example, as some people believe that true freedom benefits the greatest number of people, while others (sometimes in secret) believe that slavery benefits the important and productive, and trickles down to the rest, benefiting them better than they could have done of their own free will.
Most rational people are locked between both concepts, hence the title of my article.
From a leadership standpoint, any government that is powerful realizes that their influence must be strong and that it must be backed by the threat of force. This is probably a good reason we have so many excessive laws, or could be a reason that the tax code is unintelligible to the normal person. A smooth politician knows that dirt can be found on anyone. The idea is to create as many laws as possible, to keep people obedient and occupied. When the dissenters step out of line, dig up your dirt, and get them off the street. This is how government has worked, in many countries, for quite some time.
At this point it must be questioned if freedom is universally desired anymore, or if it ever was. As I pointed out at the beginning of this article, those you ask, always champion freedom, as slavery is always derided. But, does the normal human being believe this?
Personally, I do not believe this. I believe that those who desire freedom, are outside of the system and/or the mainstream generally.
It’s often not the fat and happy people within the system that want to give up the cattle. If you are living nice and comfortable, and you are the envy of all, you certainly don’t want some young writer like myself giving away elements of the magic formula, and spoiling your good fun.
But, such is life. The more a government oppresses people, even in small ways, the more you will hear people crying for freedom. The more people are dissociated with the political process, the more people will yearn for change. The more laws you pass, the more radicals you create.
(The United States has the largest prison population in the world)
Like most concepts, “smart” slavery has a shelf life. The leaders in this country realize this, and that is why we are, and have been for years, aiming for a more centralized, controlled, socialist model in this country. Afterall, if the government is involved with every little thing you do, your passion and motivation to resist will be weakened, because you will be completely dependent on them for your survival.
This is why the internet will be regulated, why drugs will stay illegal, and why “universal healthcare” is almost a certainty among other things. This is why phones will be tapped, bank accounts monitored, and why information of all kinds on individuals will be collected.
It’s because it’s not about the terrorists. It’s about you. It’s about 260 million people that government officials would otherwise have ZERO power against.
But, do you even care? If you are a happy slave, what is the use in shaking the cherry tree?
Again, it is a question of where you stand, and where you sit.
I sit on the side of freedom. I am outside of the mainstream, and I am not fat and happy. Many people died for the cause of freedom, and I understand clearly why. These men and women wanted to impress upon future generations that freedom is something you have to fight tooth and nail for. After all, enemies are not always foreign, nor do they always have different colored skin.
Freedom is something that causes a person to take great, fearful risks, and defy even the most powerful. A person concerned with true freedom does not want to be “more free” than another country. They want the whole kit and kaboodle, because they know well the excesses of leaders and bureaucracy. Some freedom lovers even understand totaltarianism, and where our world is headed.
Whether the person who reads this article chooses freedom, or slavery, in their personal approaches to other people, this much is clear. Slavery has not ended. It has only evolved. True freedom has never been achieved.
Is freedom still a goal of the human race? Can we extend freedoms not only to ourselves, but also to others? Or should we completely turn our lives over to those who claim they know what is better for us? The champions of freedom, and the secret supporters of slavery, have convincing, and logical rationale for the things they do.
This is not a matter of good and evil, it’s a matter of what is right, and what is wrong. Never before, to our knowledge, has such a large group of people ever been in a position where they need to cooperate to survive. Never before has a government or king had this many people to govern. "Society" is still a new concept, afterall.
Hopefully, this debate will take place in an honest, and thoughtful way, as we try to find ways to advance the United States, and keep her strong. (if that is possible)
But sadly, if the debate continues to be pushed under the rug, it will be dealt with on a battlefield, just like it always has in the past.
Will freedom reign, or will slavery conquer?
A closing quote, from a lover of freedom:
He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself. – Thomas Paine –
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