Vive La Liberte!
"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it. - Thomas Jefferson"
I have written recently, in person and on the internet, on the principles of freedom and liberty in very isolated cases. I have argued in defence of Muslims who chose to burn poppies on Remembrance Sunday, in defence of a girl who decided to burn the Qur'an and defence of students who decided to make their voices heard, but I haven't spoken of liberty as a whole.
To me, liberty is the most important right we should defend because all others depend upon it. If we have liberty then when other rights are taken away we can fight for them, if our right to liberty is taken then how can we defend any other right? It isn't a coincidence that the first thing attacked by any authoritarian is the freedom of their subjects, take that away and you can get away with anything because the people can no longer stand up for themselves.
Democracy is not a guarantee of freedom; if they take away the freedoms of their people then what's to stop them taking away the right to vote? Or from rigging the election? Or simply banishing competent opposition? No, we have to stand in defence of liberty even when the reason for taking it away seems reasonable.
It also demands that we stand for the freedom of our enemies, too. Thomas Paine realised this in 1795 when he wrote: "He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself." Take the BNP as an example; loathsome opportunists who will happily insult anybody who isn't white, straight and Christian but we have to defend their right to make their speech because by doing so, you also defend your right to criticise them and your right to air views contrary to the majority that others might find offensive.
The only time anybody should have a right to violate your liberty is when you intend to violate the rights of others. If you deliberately tell people to go out and cause harm to others then you have abused your freedoms and should be stopped.
That is the line in the sand.
The right of anybody to take away your freedoms only goes as far as preventing you causing harm to others because where else do you draw the line? When is the absolute moment you say 'enough is enough'? People who let others take their freedom often find they'll only speak out when they no longer can.
I have written recently, in person and on the internet, on the principles of freedom and liberty in very isolated cases. I have argued in defence of Muslims who chose to burn poppies on Remembrance Sunday, in defence of a girl who decided to burn the Qur'an and defence of students who decided to make their voices heard, but I haven't spoken of liberty as a whole.
To me, liberty is the most important right we should defend because all others depend upon it. If we have liberty then when other rights are taken away we can fight for them, if our right to liberty is taken then how can we defend any other right? It isn't a coincidence that the first thing attacked by any authoritarian is the freedom of their subjects, take that away and you can get away with anything because the people can no longer stand up for themselves.
Democracy is not a guarantee of freedom; if they take away the freedoms of their people then what's to stop them taking away the right to vote? Or from rigging the election? Or simply banishing competent opposition? No, we have to stand in defence of liberty even when the reason for taking it away seems reasonable.
It also demands that we stand for the freedom of our enemies, too. Thomas Paine realised this in 1795 when he wrote: "He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself." Take the BNP as an example; loathsome opportunists who will happily insult anybody who isn't white, straight and Christian but we have to defend their right to make their speech because by doing so, you also defend your right to criticise them and your right to air views contrary to the majority that others might find offensive.
The only time anybody should have a right to violate your liberty is when you intend to violate the rights of others. If you deliberately tell people to go out and cause harm to others then you have abused your freedoms and should be stopped.
That is the line in the sand.
The right of anybody to take away your freedoms only goes as far as preventing you causing harm to others because where else do you draw the line? When is the absolute moment you say 'enough is enough'? People who let others take their freedom often find they'll only speak out when they no longer can.