Hayden

Thanks for that!

HR

Amen-Moses

Except that England actually does have a written constitution, it just is called the Magna Carta. It is a good first stab at universal rights and was later improved by Scotland who have the first written Bill of Rights.

I'm not sure of the datings but I have been told on many occasions in the past of other countries that have written constitutions as well.

Amen-Moses

Amen-Moses

The problem now is not whether Europe would come to the aid of the US (which it would of course, after we waited a few years until the US was completely broke and near defeat! ) but whether we in Europe should go the the aid of the victims of US agression!

Amen-Moses

Nataraja

I think it's always been about the power and the money. The politicians will eventually realize that war is bad for business and find something else to do, like form productive trade alliances and such, or whatever it is that politicians do. Until then we'll have to endure this silliness. It's only a matter of time, though.

As for America being a symbol of freedom...well, what is freedom? I'm satisfied with where I am and I'm satisfied with my opportunities. If being a satisfied citizen is the same as being free, I count myself free. If freedom is the same as liberty, well, it depends on what you want and where you look.

redstar2000

"If being a satisfied citizen is the same as being free, I count myself free."

Perhaps you should consult They Thought They Were Free; The Germans, 1938-1945 by Milton Mayer (1955, University of Chicago Press).

I think it will prove...enlightening.

erehwon

I posted this on another site but it applies here as well.
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The basic philosophy underpinning freedom is that each person has the ability to think and is responsible for his or her own life. My take on freedom in relationship to personhood is that each one of us was born to lead an autonomous and authentic life.

The paradox here is that to feel authentic we need to have been brought up in an authentic way. In the West we are preceded by 10 generations of industrialists, 500 generations of farmers and 100,000 generations of hunter-gatherers (O�Mara, 2001).

Industrialisation alone has forced much change on society. Consumerism, materialism, status, careerism and capitalism all take a toll on individuals/families/communities/societies. Excessive demands on time, many more different levels of conformity; high demands on standards of behaviour; a diminishing amount of resources to spread around an increasing population; money, clothing and shelter worries.

Couple with this a patriarchal viewpoint that was developed by humans along with the structure of capitalism. Then add the more recent new right policies and globalisation. We appear to be evolving into a system where power and control more often defines many relationships.

The most recent example of this is the hegemony in the political stance of the US towards other nations, namely in the statement �you�re either with us or against us�, benefits for all if your with us�fences to climb if you�re not. Freedom or an attempt at coercion?

Power and control or respect and co-operation?
I think that the principles of respect and co-operation as opposed to power and control would have more chance of leading to authentic freedom.

The freedom that is being written in the lives of people/societies today is often based on the pressures of life. A life based on autonomy and authenticity is falling victim to: victimisation and shame; no time for one another; domination; our lives are becoming more unpredictable, inconsistent and unstable. The freedom written in our lives is written in this environment, and we in turn write these interpretations into our children�s lives. And so it goes on and on.

Freedom is a twisted and corrupted concept that is sold to us neatly packaged and defined, all designed to delude us into thinking that freedom is indeed alive and available to all. The sad part is that we in our need to cleave to a belief in a transcending existence have prostituted freedom.

For those of you that think that slavery is dead, slavery has been reincarnated as what you are led to beleive is freedom. Only difference is now they soften it with television, alcohol, and whatever else they can to sedate us.



Perhaps we could rewrite this as They Thought They Were Free; The Citizens of America and other market driven Countries, 1800-now by Citizens for Respect and Co-operation.