This is my first post here, I find you all very intelligent, I am only 15 years old but philosophy intrigues me. I have studied the works of a few philosophers, mainly Immanuel Kant, this is an immature explanation of how I see freedom, or mostly how some perceive it.
William Wallace was right, they can’t take our freedom mostly because we don’t have any and never will, because the paradox will never stop. You want freedom? Take it, we have been fighting for it for years and years, to no resort. Freedom costs. It’s kind of a hypocritical philosophy really. We fight for the right to be free. We fight for the right to have a free-market system so we can buy anything you want, whenever you want, from whoever you want.
We fight for the freedom of religious belief, thought mostly we just fight amongst ourselves about that. Sometimes we even travel to the other side of the world to make sure that those less “fortunate” than ourselves can enjoy our special brand of freedom: video games, Coke Pepsi, Jesus, and Taco Bell. You have the right to eat tacos we’ll say, and they’ll smile and say “FINALY!” Some people even have the right to bear arms. Sometimes their kids get in on that right. Sometimes people die for freedom and don’t know it. Funny how freedom works, you die for it.
In the most perfect dream I will be sitting in a nice lawn chair on a high plateau, watching the demise of Western Civilization. I’d buy a super powerful pair of binoculars, so as not to miss anything. I’d have a big cooler full of drinks and beautiful women around, rubbing my feet and shoulders. And I’d get new glasses, because the ones I have now are all scratched up. Better then a super summer blockbuster. No giant lizards, no aliens, no natural disasters. Just us. Swirling towards the bottom of the bowl. I’ll have some tacos and a shirt that says “finally”
The chemical winds will blow through my hair as I monitor the major news networks for the details and endless updates. The field correspondents broadcasting from within the flaming debris, conditioned to remain impervious to the dangers and drama unfolding around them. The Earth bursting into flame. Little ships slipping picturesquely beneath the foaming waves.
Hell hath no fury like a man sitting in a lawn chair watching the end of the world who ran out of tacos…
And then come the missiles. Having spent all my life living in a time of nuclear devices. I say launch them. I’m curious to see what the fuss is about. Where to fire them? I’m open to suggestions. I’ll play Pac-Man and Frogger while A-Bombs blow up around me like so many seagulls fed with Wonder Bread and Draino. I’ll do the Safety Dance, The Electric Dance, the Macarena and maybe me and the girls will even line-dance. I’m gonna laugh maniacally because, what else am I going to do? There will be umbrellas in all the drinks, fireworks without warning labels, hundreds of rare T-bones, a million cigarettes, and plenty of pornography. Cause if you’re going down, go down big.
That’s freedom. Not some word in the dictionary. Not some corrupted thing bent to suit commercial purposes. Limitless freedom. Not Endless slow poison like today, no “tomorrow I’ll go to the gym after work.” Just sought after cancerous treats and spy-like glow-in-the-dark party favors. Naked riders, outrageous costumes, dangerous words blasted through megaphones, outlawed tunes played on outlawed guitars. A silence after a great noise. And then the ringing tone of a last, great chord. That’s Freedom, right? I am Canadian, and have nothing against anybody, you want freedom? Just take it, no war will change it. Wake up to the real world, that being the one within your head, there is no other.
Hopefully I contradicted myself in there somewhere.