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Forum Post: "Economic Freedom"

Posted 12 years ago on Dec. 17, 2011, 6:06 a.m. EST by metapolitik (1110)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

People talk a lot about "Freedom"...

But freedom to do what exactly?

Own stuff?

For really poor people, "economic freedom" is meaningless. For them, it's just freedom to starve.

For all you right-wingers, tea-partiers and libertarians out there who whine about constantly about taxes and "punishing job-creators" (yeah right), be thankful that the government is keeping the poor well enough fed that they don't decide to storm your gated communities.

To all of you protesters that consider yourselves "Anarchists", please remember: Big Business LOVES anarchy because it means that there are no safeguards in-place to keep corporations and banks from riding roughshod over everyone else.

This is humorously illustrated as follows:

http://tinyurl.com/d92m97a

Government's proper role is to protect the people and to regulate economic interests. Not protect economic interests and regulate the people - which is what's now happening.

If you get rid of government, you get rid of our only safeguard.

We have to take government back from Wall St. and put it in the hands of The People.

http://occupywallst.org/forum/nutshell-is-back-new-and-improved/

http://metapolitik.org/nutshell

http://metapolitik.org/article/approaching-metapolitical-discourse

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[-] 1 points by metapolitik (1110) 12 years ago

Some people have PM'd me regarding this post.

Why don't you just comment here like everyone else.

It's a FORUM!

Anyway, to address some questions I've gotten about "Anarchy" and "Jesus"...

People who cal for "Anarchy" are generally primarily concerned with Individual "Freedom" (aka: Liberty). And while Liberty is perhaps the greatest value held by our society, most people don't really seem to have a clue what it means in practice.

They tend to confuse "Liberty" with "Freedom", but Freedom to do what exactly?

To own a bunch stuff?

As though "material prosperity" were the only method for measuring the degree of "Liberty" that a society has achieved.

As for:

"Democracies and separation of power [being] such a novel idea"

...That's complete bunk.

The Greeks codified the principles of Democracy thousands of years ago and small communities have likely been practicing Direct-Democracy in one form or another since shortly after our species learned to walk upright.

Other fictions that we are taught include:

  • That the US practices an authentic form of Democracy
  • That the Greek (Plato) developed the idea of a "Republic" (You can actual thank the Romans for this deliberate mis-reading of Plato's work)
  • That "freedom", "liberty" or "democracy" are remotely attainable without corresponding economic equality.
  • That "freedom", "liberty" or "democracy" are really what "capitalism" is all about.

As for God and Jesus...

I don't need antiquated, patriarchal superstitions to determine the difference between right and wrong, thank you. But if Jesus wants to show up and help kick the money changers out of the temple (so-to-speak), I'm all for it.

Hell, I'll even pray for it.

But don't hold your breath.

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[-] 1 points by Frizzle (520) 12 years ago

The way the word freedom is used often is completely misleading. If they know it or not, when they talk about freedom it's usually not about freedom of the people. But rather the freedom of the market to use money to make more money no matter what the consequences.

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[-] 2 points by metapolitik (1110) 12 years ago

I am reminded of that scene in Easy Rider:

Jack Nicholson:

"... It's real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace. Of course, don't ever tell anybody that they're not free, 'cause then they're gonna get real busy killin' and maimin' to prove to you that they are. Oh, yeah, they're gonna talk to you, and talk to you, and talk to you about individual freedom. But they see a free individual, it's gonna scare 'em."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHd6m_cirrU

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