Stop raping freedom

[redeye]

Politicians and ideologs of all stripes and all nations rape the word freedom rampantly. The word is often used, especially in the US but generally everywhere, to mean "whatever I agree with." Jerry Falwell had no qualms renaming the Moral Majority "Liberty Council" even though the only freedom he supports is his freedom to oppress other people and to force his twisted blind faith on everyone.

While conservatives rape freedom more than liberals, it'shard to say that liberals are faultless here. Not only is liberalism the first political philosophy ever to define itself as a philosophy of freedom - a term that is now politicall unusable but that was easy to define and use 300 years ago - but also leftists rape freedom rampantly, too. Socialists say they support economic freedom and democracy, but so do the libertarians. Liberals often talk of how they suport freedom and liberty, too, but they fail to explain what they mean by that.

So, I'm begging you guys, don't do that. If you speak Freedom - which I don't - then at least tell us what you mean when you use the word rather than just throw it around rhetorically. Be logical, not rhetorical.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. Good post, worthy of thought

I like to think in the old addage that my rights end where yours begin or as a former MOD used to say "My right to swing my fist ends where your chin begins."

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. BTW you mentioned LIBERTY

Here is an excellent flash film THE PHILOSOPHY OF LIBERTY
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/liberty.php

[redeye]

5. That flash suffers from two defects

One is its format: unlike an essay, it doesn't allow you to take your time and critically evaluate portions of it.

Two is its assertion that the product of life and liberty is property. Property is seldom the product of one's own life and liberty and almost always the product of many individuals' life and liberty.

[Bertrand]

3. .

socialists say they support economic freedom and democracy, but so do the libertarians.


This makes no sense, but i guess by "libertarian" you mean libertarian capitalists. Many people make many claims about ideologies. After all, China is a "peoples republic" and Nazi Germans were "National Socialists."

[redeye]

4. Right

I said that in the defintiion of libertarianism thread, but when I say libertarian I always refer to the capitalist brand of libertarianism.

And while many words - "people's," "democracy," "conservatism," "culture" - have been raped thruout history, freedom is the one that's raped the most.