Freedom

[grrm]

Yesterday's post seems to have triggered a huge outpouring of comments, and I see the same issues being discussed all over the internet, in a hundred different places. Needless to say, there's a huge range of opinions, but some of the polls I've looked at suggest the majority of Americans are okay with these new TSA "security" measures because,

Comments

Re: True liberty

[anonymous]

The facts just don’t support your assertion here. Humans clearly have more freedom now then they had in feudal societies in the past. Germany went from a free democracy to a fascist police state back to the democracy we see now. The United States under King George had less liberty then they had after the American Revolution. There is no such evolution where humans must give up liberties to live in more complex societies. Your single example is hardly an encompassing trend.

Usually what you will see is that societies that cultivate personal freedom become dominant over those that don't. European dominance in the past could be traced back to a mercantile class which managed keep what they earned without local warlords stealing it in the form of taxes or stealing it outright.

Greece and Rome were far more successful in science, the arts and regional influence as Republics then they were as Empires. America became a superpower while it had an open society that valued personal liberties. We have declined as this trend has reversed. This is no coincidence. The proof is that if the trend is not reversed we will not remain a super power. A more open society that places a higher value on liberties will take over that role.