14 DAY TRIAL // As someone who has had the chance of studying the world's political systems and doctrine in detail, I am often surprised by just how many people put the “equal” mark between democracy and freedom. It's absolutely true that there are higher chances of people being free within a democratic society than in a totalitarian one, but that should never be used as justification. I will concentrate in making my point on the case of the United States, a country whose residents are firmly convinced that they are free.
When looking at totalitarian regimes, or at dictatorships, it's immediately apparent that people are free within the limits imposed either by the central, single-party government or by the dictator, whatever the case may be. In the case of fascist and communist states, this is most obvious. State security (read: the security of the party and its ruler) are the main concerns that authorities have. The economy almost always comes second, with the best interests of the citizens coming in third, and last.
The thing about these regimes is that you, as an individual living within the state, know where you stand. You do not expect to have access to all the things you want, and are firmly aware that there will be consequences if you do certain things the government/party does not approve of. You also know that you are constantly being monitored by various “departments” of the state's security services. In former Communist countries, such as Romania, the legacy left behind by these services is so dark that people even now, two decades after the fall of the dictatorship, tend to cast out those proven to have worked for the state, spying and reporting on everyone around them.
So, if I were to stretch the argument a bit, I could say that a dictatorship is more honest to its citizens than a democratic state. Of course, there will always be propaganda, whether black, gray or white, that will attempt to persuade everyone they have as much freedom as possible. This almost never works, as people immediately realize if they are held within certain limits. Additionally, one of the main reasons that propaganda exists in these state is to 1) control the information flow to the population, and 2) to pass the countries as beacons of light in the struggle for equal rights, or some other principle that sounds pleasant.
One of the issues that, ironically, prevent people from acquiring true freedom, is the fact that few actually know what the word means. At some level, everyone knows what it entails, but, if you want to obtain true freedom, you need to know what you are asking for. Also, if you're not an anarchist (in the sense that you want freedom without any existing state), then you need to make the changes you want within the confines of the laws. Therefore, you need to be able to define freedom accordingly.
One definition is civil liberty, as opposed to subjection to an arbitrary or despotic government. Another would be the absence of ceremony or reserve, or frankness of manner or speech. Others define freedom as the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint, whereas some believe the concept refers to the power to exercise choice and make decisions without constraint from within or without (autonomy, self-determination). Also, as a word of advice, none of you should ever forget what Benjamin Franklin rightfully said, “Those willing to give up their freedom for safety deserve neither.”
And, unfortunately, this is precisely what is going on in United States today. I find the words of a certain user of the “Is America Free?” bulletin board especially appropriate to illustrate this. He or she said that “we are fighting extremism, but our adoption of extremists tactics of torture and mayhem is a defeat for our Founding Fathers, and those who gave up their lives for 'Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness'. If George Washington refused to torture when fighting with a ragtag army to establish this great country why should we torture when we have the greatest military machine the world has ever seen?”
Another user posts “While I say we have some freedoms, we have become entangled by laws and government as well as the Christian world view.” Another one echoes the former's views, “[The] freedom of choosing leaders [is] more like [the] freedom to choose between preselected candidates. Preselected by who?” These are all legitimate questions, and a truly tragic thing is that they only appear in such small bulletin boards, rather than being discussed on national television networks, during prime-time. After all, discussions and debate are the basis of democracy, right?
It would appear that the similarities between the concept of democracy, as illustrated in books, and the realities of modern-day US are not many. Civil liberties, which constitute the foundation of the political idea, are becoming all but extinct in the world's most powerful and “free” nation. That is not to say people cannot argue against anything they want.
But, as they do that, rather than living free of worries they will not be persecuted for being different, they enter various “watch lists,” compiled by numerous federal agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, the National Security Agency and so on. These agencies, which are paid from taxpayers' money, are being used to keep a watchful eye on everything a person does. E-mail, Internet traffic, phone calls and “old-school,” pen-and-paper letters are being monitored, all in the interest of national security.
Incidentally, as a side note, have you ever wondered how is it that terrorism and national security always seem to spring up whenever the government is pinned down by civic rights groups, or other freedom adepts? Terrorism is the ultimate justification for intrusion in people's private lives, without a warrant or oversight. This leaves the door opens for such a wide list of abuses that it would be too long to mention. What if the data leak in hackers' hands, or in the hand of corporations?
On the other hand, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. There is no clear definition for the term “national security.” We covered the matter extensively in college, and one of the assignments we had was to list possible ways in which we could use these two simple words to abuse the trust of others, and promote our own agenda. Our Political Sciences professor probably wanted to show us precisely how throwing the right words at the right time grants you a “blank check” in doing whatever you want.
The government uses this term so often precisely because it's very vague. In fact, it's a small psychological trick. Something happens on the street, for instance, you see a man hit another man. Men in black then descend on the two, cuff them and take them away. When you ask why, they tell you, “I'm sorry, I am not at liberty to say. This is a matter pertaining to national security.” Without actually telling you anything but two simple words, the agent has put your mind at work, without you even realizing it.
You start wondering how two men fighting in the street may be a matter of national security. Then you image that one is a cop and the other is a bad spy, and that one of them was actually trying to protect you. And then you, as the observer, start thinking “Of course the agent said nothing, he was sworn the secrecy,” or other such thing. In fact, as my professor's assignment demonstrated, the agent may have simply abused his command powers and had two people jailed.
The thing in the United States today is that authorities can do that legally, for no justification, except for the suspicion of terrorism. Note the use of the word suspicion. They don't actually have to prove anything. However, you're still in jail, and have “time to think” about how you've upset the government. How is that being free? Many people argue for this type of actions by authorities, saying that it keeps them safe. What if a member of their “patriotic” family is then arrested without charge, just because? What will they think then?
I've also noticed something that I find very weird in America. People in the country appear to be divided into two groups, of which one that is blindly obedient and trustful at whatever the government and the corporate media tell them. They also call themselves “Patriots,” think that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are carried out to protect them, and say that anyone who thinks differently than they do is “unAmerican” and that they should get out if they don't like it in the States.
The second group is, naturally, the opposite of the first, and questions just about every decision and law the government passes, especially if the new bills give various agencies more control over their lives. Between you and me, this is precisely the way democracy should work. Unfortunately for the US, and indeed for the rest of the world, this second group of people is a lot smaller than the first one. It's also mostly made up by people who are not looking to manipulate others, or spread their agenda. They want to keep the government out of their lives, but are too few to make a difference.
There are those in the United States that are Communists. This is natural, people of various political orientations are anywhere. But those living in America tell one big truth, and namely that the country is starting to look more and more like a Fascist state. The main difference is that the government is exerting its massive control on the population under the pretense of fighting elusive terrorists, and monitoring terrorists’ activities. Just remember how these terrorists got invented. And then take into account the fact that the US are known for their affinity for false-flag operations, as demonstrated by numerous declassified documents.
Other than this “separator,” the basic elements are there. You get candidates you don't know where they came from, you have an economy in which the state interferes – by the way, a government baling out reckless bankers and industry is a socialist/communist/fascist measure, not a capitalist one – a massive machine set in place to monitor the population and everything it does, as well as the means to dispose of those who get in your way, for no apparent reason or justification. Oh, and propaganda is always there, in the mainstream media, to let you know that all the government thinks about is your best interest.
“James” writes on the “Is America Free” board, “I think [the situation in the US today] is kind of a mob mentality. We pay them a percentage and were supposed to be safe and free. But of course if you talk out of turn you get slapped around a bit. If you question the system you get slapped around. But do as you’re told and pay your protection fee (taxes), and you can live this life. Freedom?”
