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Why People Let Go of Freedom
The Daily Dose of Reason ^ | February 1, 2019 | Dr. Michael J Hurd

Posted on 02/01/2019 11:13:06 AM PST by huckfillary

For a country to stay free, it must be dominated by people who want to be free.

To want freedom, you have to NOT be afraid. If you’re afraid of life, and you lack confidence or initiative, freedom will not appeal to you. Being taken care of will appeal to you.

America started as a vast wilderness, populated only with a few cities. People who came to America were not afraid. If they were, they would not have come here. And they certainly would not have stayed, or survived.

It’s easy to see how and why America’s earlier generations yearned for freedom. In many cases, they fled European and other nations to escape the kind of oppression we see from the American government today–high taxes, restrictions on individual rights, property, gun ownership. In Europe and elsewhere, people lived to serve the government. In America, people wanted government to serve the people.

Things are very different today in America. In a way, the United States was the victim of its own success. It did so phenomenally well at raising the standard of living that people became scared again. They became scared of losing it. Their focus shifted from liberty to security. It has been gradual, but the current movement — especially among America’s youngest age group — toward some version of socialism (translation: security over liberty) shows just how much the character, psychology and soul of the country has changed.

I want to emphasize that a country or a nation does not have a soul. A country or a nation is a large number of individuals. There are many individuals in America who still yearn for independence, liberty, individual rights and the sort of sacred liberties embodied by the Bill of Rights, the most important part of our Constitution.

But there are at least as many (I fear more) Americans who yearn for security more than liberty. This is not a new struggle for human beings. Security versus liberty is part of the human struggle for serenity and self-esteem. However, there’s an error millions have made in the past, and millions more –in America, of all places — seem poised to make again. That error is to assume that you can trade off liberty for security. Or that you can even have both. You can’t. Because — as any emotionally abused spouse or battered wife will tell you — the moment you hand over the reins of control to somebody else in exchange for their taking care of you, it’s the same moment you subject yourself to the worst, controlling and abusive tendencies of the party you have given consent to take care of you.

Turning government into Mommy or Daddy is the worst thing people can do. It will turn ugly, so quickly. It’s a common theme throughout human history. What I can’t wrap my mind around is what it will look like in America, with its generations-long history and heritage of liberty, freedom, and continuous prosperity. A socialist America? I liken it to falling from a 150 floor skyscraper rather than from a 5 floor building. The fall will kill you either way. But what a fall this will be.

All I’m left with is to say, especially to younger people: Don’t let it go.

Most societies have never known liberty and freedom. America knew it — and then lost it? It would be the greatest sin in all of human history.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: afraid; bloggers; freedom; liberty; socialism
This is what the Founders meant by civic virtue---never use the government for self-enrichment. A virtuous citizenry is one that does not seek, or refuses, the unearned.
1 posted on 02/01/2019 11:13:06 AM PST by huckfillary
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To: huckfillary

Besides not being afraid, which I actually often am, you need to be responsible for your business. For you and yours.

In a free society you can’t shift blame much.


2 posted on 02/01/2019 11:15:59 AM PST by Persevero (Desmond is not -Amazing- Desmond is -Abused-)
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To: huckfillary

You’ve got a bunch of pu$$us running around now. If it don’t come easy they roll up in a ball and suck their thumbs.


3 posted on 02/01/2019 11:22:28 AM PST by HighSierra5
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To: huckfillary

For a mess of pottage they let go of their freedom. The attitude could best be expressed, as Esau himself might have said it: “Birthright, Schmirthright!”


4 posted on 02/01/2019 11:22:40 AM PST by Migraine
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To: huckfillary

Yes, there are many people like this.

It accounts for the massive use of illegal drugs in this country.

Many people are afraid of their reality and their possible future.

They use illegal drugs to temporarily ignore this fear.

The problem is, that without changing their circumstances to eliminate this fear, the fear will always come back.

This leads to another consequence of this fear.....its use by others for profit.

Taking drugs to escape reality is foolish and weak.

Selling drugs to these frightened people to make a profit is cruel.


5 posted on 02/01/2019 11:23:07 AM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: huckfillary
why people let go of freedom

Irrational process of thinking, such as worship of big government and disintegrated mode of thought,leads to irrational thoughts, which lead to inappropriate value judgments, which lead to inappropriate emotions and motives. People end up wanting the government to take care of them and tell them what to do, and so, they give up their freedom to get the unearned, the undeserved, and something for nothing.

6 posted on 02/01/2019 11:31:19 AM PST by mjp ((pro-{God, reality, reason, egoism, individualism, natural rights, limited government, capitalism}))
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To: huckfillary

I always look at Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs when this subject comes up.

Our society does a good job of providing for everyone’s physical needs.

Yet, we have many people who vote like their physical needs will not be taken care of unless Democrats are elected.

Why do people think and vote this way?

Propaganda? Brainwashing? Advertising?

And the Democrat leadership takes advantage of these fearful people.

They skim some off the top of every government program.


7 posted on 02/01/2019 11:33:41 AM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: HighSierra5

Exactly. It’s the feminization of the nation that causes people to want to be taken care of. We’ve reached critical mass where boys aren’t raised by men for the most part. If there’s a man in their life, it’s a girly man, and females like to be taken care of. And then there’s the feminization of men via soy products. Sickening. All of it. And it can all be traced back to giving women the vote. In just a few short years, we’d elected our first socialist president (FDR) to take care of all the girls and girly men. And we’ve gone downhill from there.


8 posted on 02/01/2019 12:07:20 PM PST by afsnco (18 of 20 in AF JAG)
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To: blueunicorn6

Drugs? Please. People get drunk, have sex, gamble and beat their wives to escape reality.


9 posted on 02/01/2019 12:11:47 PM PST by jmacusa ("The more numerous the laws the more corrupt the government''.)
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To: huckfillary


"America started as a vast wilderness, populated only with a few cities.

"Huh???
10 posted on 02/01/2019 12:41:29 PM PST by RedMonqey ("Those who turn their arms in for plowshares will be doing the plowing for those who didn't.")
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To: huckfillary

bookmark


11 posted on 02/01/2019 1:08:15 PM PST by gattaca ("Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives." Ronald Reagan)
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To: huckfillary

because they are lazy and stupid. no other reason.


12 posted on 02/01/2019 1:20:34 PM PST by Check6
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To: Check6

Freedom of Choice, is what you’ve got
Freedom from Choice, is what you want

-DEVO


13 posted on 02/01/2019 1:23:02 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: HighSierra5

“You’ve got a bunch of pu$$us running around now. If it don’t come easy they roll up in a ball and suck their thumbs.”

Coupled with the fact that we have been colonized by millions of people who were essentially serfs in their own countries. Low IQ, violent, amoral, serfs.


14 posted on 02/01/2019 2:53:20 PM PST by dljordan
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To: blueunicorn6

I think the problem is partly that we let the left frame the discussion. Free stuff, and more free stuff from the democrats, and warnings on how we can’t afford it from the right, is no way to counter the free stuff to the idiot masses.

We need to frame it in terms of freedom. Either you are free, and that requires self discipline and responsibility, or you trade your freedom for security and you have to accept what your dungeon masters want or can give you.

Take away the assumed freedoms of the uninitiated and oblivious American 20 something and that person will wish they had that freedom.

First thing is to frame the discussion when the leftists preach free health care, college, minimum income, shelter and so on...; Freedom and security are diametrically opposed in a zero sum equation

The second thing that any parent with kids over 15 years old will tell you is if you give people anything unearned they tend to waste it and squander it. Like the person who uses food stamps to buy cola, then dump it in the parking lot to cash in the can deposit for beer, which can’t be bought with food stamps. (that happens)

I have always said that socialism is like a cage. A velvet lined, food filled cage with all the security and health care, shelter and ‘needs’ you could want, to take away all your fears. -until the door slams shut behind you...


15 posted on 02/01/2019 3:17:06 PM PST by Wildbill22 ( They have us surrounded again, the poor bastards- Gen Creighton William Abrams)
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