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.