Do you like making your own choices? Do you want to choose how you live and what kind of society you live in? Do you want to give that responsibility to someone else? Do you want everything you do, have, say, think and feel to be chosen by someone else?
The narrative I’m observing boils down to this simplified point: freedom of choice or freedom from choice.
Thanks for the reference, DEVO!
The Shah of Iran just went to the EU and was effectively told that 40,000 civilians murdered by the totalitarian rulers there was not sufficient evidence that Iranians want democracy. Those people and many more were demonstrating to regain freedom of choice.
As far as I know, there are only a handful of countries which are supporting the introduction of democracy into Iran and Australia is certainly not one of them. We used to be a safe haven for people trying to escape nations based on freedom from choice, but now we economically support those very people who want freedom from choice for us.
AI, the biggest red herring of the current era after the ‘religion of peace’ line, is likewise raising the question of freedom of choice vs freedom from choice: tech bros want their product to circumvent the decision making process. Few people are creating limitations to the applications of AI but the ball has started rolling.
Who has the power to choose in society where multi-billionaires replicate choice with purchasing avenues? Neoliberalism was a fantastic idea if, and only if, government could be equated with a business. Running a society on the profit motive does not function simply because society, people, are not ATMs. We produce things in vast quantities but cash is not one of them. The profit motive cannot facilitate the ability to choose… that would be a good education grounded in secularism.
I am keen to promote choice and the accountability which comes with it.
Capitalism is a wonderful approach to improve standards of living if, and only if, it is not allowed to monopolise, and if it is not allowed to interfere with democratic processes.
Social welfare ensures we do not have starving and desperate people mugging others in the streets: not everyone is capable of productive work, even if any society in the history of the universe could have a job for every one.
Redistribution of wealth is vital to ensure both monopolies and desperation do not occur. This is called ‘taxation’ and is usually pretty successful in creating societies with running water, electricity, sewage, communications, defence, education, and safety.
The separation of church and state, or what I would like to restate as ideology and state, simply means that society is run on least possible harm (a secular value). Defunding any ideology ensures it does not interfere with social welfare or the democratic process as that ideology would thence be funded only by those who wish to engage in it, not by the rest of us.
The West is facing its first major enemy since the Communist East and the Cold War, but it is still the same war: the freedom of choice or the freedom from choice.
Ironically, there are many who are using their power of choice to choose freedom from choice. This is the definition of stupid.
A D R A N 