Benjamin Franklin is said to have declared: "They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security."
The Early American sage was certainly seeing clearly when he recognized that security can only be fleeting if liberty is given up. He might better have said: "They who give up liberty for security end up losing both."
But it is interesting that even in Benjamin Franklin's day a false political question must have been arising which during the 20th Century proved to be agonizingly hurtful as the world views hurt. The question was whether people should give up some degree of their liberty in order to enjoy a greater degree of security ... as if the two were contradictory experiences.
Communist countries experimented: "We'll find out the answer! We'll attempt giving away all liberty in exchange for the hope of total security. We'll see what happens." Each such experiment became a disaster as the world sees things. Both liberty and security were equally and inevitably lost in political tidal waves of pain, suffering, and death. These wrong-minded experiments did, of course, give a clue to the answer: liberty and security are indivisible.
Christians pray in gratitude, "You give us this day our daily bread." But one doesn't have to be a Christian to understand the feeling of gratitude. Even atheists can hear inside the voice of their life force and inner reason guiding them, and atheists who enjoy liberty can follow such guidance until all their needs are provided. Liberty is the only state of being that allows people to find true security, security that is not an illusion.
But some human beings are slow learners, wouldn't you say? For example, so many political activists in America continue to try to elect their loyal party comrades so they can continue experimenting with legislatively taking away liberty and offering "security," "insurance," and "safety-net" programs. American politicians say, "We are not Communists! Our methods are different." Big difference! Both liberty and security are lost, but at a slower pace. Pain and suffering continue to increase, but more gradually.
As with all foolish human mistakes, the history-making misery caused by Communists in the 20th Century could have been avoided. Likewise, future disasters already set in motion by American politicians in the 21st Century can be avoided. It is only necessary to teach that liberty and security are two sides of the same coin. True security cannot be experienced by tossing liberty in a wishing well.
fas-cism
noun
a socialist governmental system led by a dominant elite which seeks to control industry and commerce, and uses legislation and governmental decree to force Utopian programs on people.
free-dom
noun
one's natural state of being; a governmental system reflecting one's natural state, including voluntary funding and voluntary willingness to join and cooperate with minimal intrinsic rules, but with no programs of "good intention" forced on people "for their own good."
If you are newly waking up to your innate libertarian core and want to investigate deeper the underlying nonsense of the liberal-progressive religion of government worship, give yourself the pleasure of reading Ayn Rand's epic and masterful novel, Atlas Shrugged.
"God's laws will keep your minds at peace, because peace IS His Will, and His laws are established to uphold it. His are the laws of freedom, but yours are the laws of bondage. Since freedom and bondage are irreconcilable, their laws CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD TOGETHER. The laws of God work only for your good, and there ARE no other laws beside His. Everything else is merely lawLESS, and therefore chaotic." -Jesus Christ in A Course in Miracles
Interesting factoid: for the last election year studied (1998) some of the highest percentage of votes for Libertarian Party candidates were for candidates who had been studying free of charge the lessons of: Course in Political Miracles
For a great discussion on Christianity vs. State Socialism see: Christianity vs. State Socialism
“I did not understand what made me free, nor what my freedom is, nor where to look to find it. Father, I have searched in vain until I heard Your Voice directing me. Now I would guide myself no more. For I have neither made nor understood the way to find my freedom. But I trust in You. You Who endowed me with my freedom as Your holy Son will not be lost to me. Your Voice directs me." (Prayer from A Course in Miracles)
Comments