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Freedom To vs. Freedom From


Robin Of House Hill

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15 hours ago, Manhole Eunuchsbane said:

That's a solid point. I'm coming at the question from the viewpoint of someone who lives in a country wherein I have a fairly minuscule chance of being murdered as a general rule. Were I a citizen of a country where that eventuality was much more likely, I would probably willing to sacrifice other freedoms in the name of safety or protection.

I think most of us are coming from that viewpoint. That's why I am so wary of "theoretically" answering the question from such a historically privileged position. Sure, we have clear examples of people valuing "liberties" (or something else) far higher than even rudimentary freedom from harm. There have always? been both martyrs and death-defying fighters for all kinds of causes. But as we tend to be quite skeptical about whether such sacrifices are worth it even for the "highest" causes I think we should also be skeptical of anyone in a rather comfortably safe western society proclaiming that (relative) freedom from harm is not a big deal and could be given up easily.

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I will always remember my wife asking about taking a drive in a country where being outside of the tourist areas was not safe. She was told people with guns will rob you. Won't the police stop them she asked. Who do you think has the guns, she was told.

Don't expect that giving up rights buys security. 

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