“To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it.” — Thomas Jefferson, April 6, 1816
Monday, September 12, 2011
One Question...
Are the citizens of the United States more free, less free or as free as we were 10 years ago? Your answer and comments are greatly appreciated.
Less free by a disturbing margin. 9/11 brought in a culture of fear that had not existed in the U.S. This fear led to the shockingly cavalier release of personal liberties in the name of security. Most notedly the ironically named Patriot Act, which should have been vehemently denounced, was welcomed with pride and celebration. We have begun more than one unconstitutional "war" and that culture of fear has spread from national security into finances and healthcare, leading to the debacles of the last couple years. The bailouts and healthcare plans all passed because of fear and fear continues to reign. Personal responsibility is scary stuff.
We are free to travel, as long as you don’t mind an unreasonable search. We are free to communicate over many mediums, as long as you don’t mind a warrantless surveillance of your communication. We are free to say what we want at a political meeting, as long as it jives with whomever has the majority at that meeting. We are free to question or video police activity and arrests, as long as you don’t mind being told to turn off the camera and promised arrest if you don’t go back inside your house because the cop “feels threatened” by you being within 100 yards or so. We are free to talk on our cell phones, as long as you don’t mind being tracked. We are free to exercise our second amendment right, as long as you don’t mind an illegal database of what weapons you have bought (well, that and the fact that you’ll be labeled a gun nut and considered the root cause of all ills in our mean society and no focus will be paid to the bad guys who use guns, just the good guys who don’t use them unless they are forced to). We are free to vote, twice if you are dead. We are free to go deep in to debt, and then be absolved of all responsibility because “life has a restart button”. We are free not to discipline our children or teach them right from wrong. We have a government who can do the job for us at a later date and at a much more efficient rate. We are free to pay more taxes. Well, we’re free to pay more taxes. We are free to “retire” from a public servant job, then get re-hired and collect retirement pay while working the same job you retired from that you are no longer working. We are free to let our expanding government spend more money, as long as you don’t mind a greater supply of dollars. We are free to speak to our elected representatives, as long as you don’t mind being ignored.*** (This point can be overcome if you have a large supply of the dollars that were printed.) We are free to turn off the TV and pay little mind to any news spin (left or right), and pay attention to how our politicians vote and act and ignore what they say, as long as you don’t mind doing what is required of you to fulfill your duty as a citizen. We are free to fight one of our many wars (or kinetic military actions), as long as you don’t mind coming home (the lucky ones) and being largely ignored and having to fight for health benefits and jobs. We are still free to think, for now.
Of course, less free. We have given up freedom for what the government tells us is more security. While we are all now suspects until proven innocent, the borders remain open and the dogma behind the crime gets apologies.
Less free by a disturbing margin. 9/11 brought in a culture of fear that had not existed in the U.S. This fear led to the shockingly cavalier release of personal liberties in the name of security. Most notedly the ironically named Patriot Act, which should have been vehemently denounced, was welcomed with pride and celebration. We have begun more than one unconstitutional "war" and that culture of fear has spread from national security into finances and healthcare, leading to the debacles of the last couple years. The bailouts and healthcare plans all passed because of fear and fear continues to reign. Personal responsibility is scary stuff.
ReplyDeleteWe are absolutely freer.
ReplyDeleteWe are free to travel, as long as you don’t mind an unreasonable search.
We are free to communicate over many mediums, as long as you don’t mind a warrantless surveillance of your communication.
We are free to say what we want at a political meeting, as long as it jives with whomever has the majority at that meeting.
We are free to question or video police activity and arrests, as long as you don’t mind being told to turn off the camera and promised arrest if you don’t go back inside your house because the cop “feels threatened” by you being within 100 yards or so.
We are free to talk on our cell phones, as long as you don’t mind being tracked.
We are free to exercise our second amendment right, as long as you don’t mind an illegal database of what weapons you have bought (well, that and the fact that you’ll be labeled a gun nut and considered the root cause of all ills in our mean society and no focus will be paid to the bad guys who use guns, just the good guys who don’t use them unless they are forced to).
We are free to vote, twice if you are dead.
We are free to go deep in to debt, and then be absolved of all responsibility because “life has a restart button”.
We are free not to discipline our children or teach them right from wrong. We have a government who can do the job for us at a later date and at a much more efficient rate.
We are free to pay more taxes. Well, we’re free to pay more taxes.
We are free to “retire” from a public servant job, then get re-hired and collect retirement pay while working the same job you retired from that you are no longer working.
We are free to let our expanding government spend more money, as long as you don’t mind a greater supply of dollars.
We are free to speak to our elected representatives, as long as you don’t mind being ignored.*** (This point can be overcome if you have a large supply of the dollars that were printed.)
We are free to turn off the TV and pay little mind to any news spin (left or right), and pay attention to how our politicians vote and act and ignore what they say, as long as you don’t mind doing what is required of you to fulfill your duty as a citizen.
We are free to fight one of our many wars (or kinetic military actions), as long as you don’t mind coming home (the lucky ones) and being largely ignored and having to fight for health benefits and jobs.
We are still free to think, for now.
Of course, less free. We have given up freedom for what the government tells us is more security. While we are all now suspects until proven innocent, the borders remain open and the dogma behind the crime gets apologies.
ReplyDeleteJust have to walk through an airport to answer that. Land of the free and home of the brave my ass.
ReplyDelete