Lack of freedom?

Now that we've seen that maybe we're not as educated as we believe ourselves to be, the question raises itself whether we're as free as we believe ourselves to be. It's not a silly question, it is a dead serious one, for as Goethe once noted, "None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free." That was a bright guy; Goethe was truly, and in every sense of the word, a highly educated man. No, there certainly aren't many like him anymore. We could use a few of them though. Just a few would be a really good start.

How free are you when your government knows your every move (potentially), knows what you are thinking, knows on a daily basis what your opinions are? How free are you when private companies collect so much information about you that they can present you with custom-tailored advertisements, individually tailored products, and offers you simply "can't refuse", but in a truly non-Godfatherish way? How free are you when you owe so many people so much money that you can't afford -- literally -- to lose your job (or even for your significant other to lose theirs), take a cut in pay, or even take the day off because of other pressing needs? These are all legitimate questions whether you like them or not.

I know plenty of Americans who define freedom in terms of how many and what types of weapons they can own, or where they can build their houses, or where they throw their garbage, or what they do with their property. As I mentioned two posts ago: freedom is one of those words that is simply defined different ways by different people. Still, it is legitimate to ask whether any of these people, in any of the just-mentioned situations or holding the just-mentioned beliefs are really "free".

If anyone, be they public or private, is gathering information on you personally so that they may at some point in the future use that information to ensure that you act in a certain way, you are not free. If anyone has more right to your assets (e.g., your house) than you do, then you are not free. If you are so obligated to others that you cannot simply act and decide according to your own desires and wishes, you are not free. If you are a citizen of an allegedly democratic society but you are not allowed to vote because of some ridiculously restrictive rule, you are not free. If you speak your mind, express your doubts, or raise critical questions without being pressured from without, you cannot be free.

And all those things are simply a part of our everyday, mundane reality. They are things we are confronted with and are exposed to and with which we have to deal each and every day. Oh yes, we believe we are free ...