Today’s essay is based on an article titled “The Exploitation of Freedom “ found in the New York Times, February 6, 2022. The word freedom as a noun is defined as “the power or right to act, speak, or think if one wants without hindrance or restraint.” Additionally, this word suggests the absence of necessity, coercion or constraint in choice or action. Religion, economic, political,intellectual, academic, etc. are areas to express freedom. Similar to freedom are the words privilege, prerogative, and due.This disquisition pertains to freedom.
Points made in the article include the following: 1 An Executive Order to ban the teaching of critical race theory, explaining that the state must promote freedom of thought. 2. Lifting mask mandates in public schools, citing individual liberty. 3. An individual freedom bill in Florida that would limit the discussions about race and discrimination in schools and businesses.
Other points made include the following: 1. At the time of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, only 2% of the city’s population were qualified to vote 2. Slave codes allowed white property owners to possess black humans.”White Freedom” the belief that freedom is central to white racial identity and that only white people can or should be free. 3. Freedom for a white master extended to torture, rape, and lifelong control over humans, he or she owned 4. In 1827, a legal scholar argued the law had given man a reasonable superiority and control over the person -of his wife. He may even put gentle restraints upon her liberty, if her conduct be such as to require it 5. In 1963, governor George Wallace couched his stance against Integration as our right for freedom and justified it as the ideology of our free fathers.
Employing the old southern playbook, the current politicians are now motivated to keep their own uninformed and ignorant as opposed to their dark skin subjects.. Yes, it’s freedom to be a racist. For George Wallace, his argument is really I enjoy having the freedom to be a bigot. Don’t tread on me.
It’s obvious that the word freedom applies to those in power and not to the majority. In 1773, the Sons of Liberty protested King George’s tax. Suggesting economic motivation, these protesters dumped, in the Boston Harbor, 342 chests of tea that belonged to the British East India Company . 90 years or so later, a civil war began. However, there was nothing civil about that war. Civil is defined as relating to ordinary citizens and their concerns, as distinct from military or ecclesiastical matters. Another definition relates to being courteous and polite with similar words as well mannered, well bred ,gentlemanly,respectful, cultivated, civilized, etc.
Conditions at the Andersonville military prison were described as housing 45,000 Union soldiers and nearly 13,000 died. This was the largest southern prison and known for its unhealthy conditions and high death rate.The war for the South was about their economic interests. The white wealthy plantation owners required slave ownership in order to make a profit and sustain their manner of living. Eliminating slave ownership dramatically affects profits. Allow slaves to vote, affects political power. The question of freedom relates to a white minority and their economic interests at best.
Today, groups claim that not being vaccinated, not wearing a mask or what not to teach is about Freedom. They're obviously not employing the meaning of the word Freedom correctly . I bet that some clearly know the definition of freedom,while others do not. Essentially, the use of the word freedom, for these individuals suggests they are compensating for feeling a sense of lack of power or control over their lives.
Moses led the Israelites from Pharaoh, thus emancipating the slaves from Egyptian rule. The Passover Seder ,characterizes the beginning of the rebellious story of the Israelites and their liberation. The Pharaoh was not happy as having slaves was in his political and financial self-interest.
Freedom is very limited under authoritarian rule. For example, the Romanov family was the last imperial dynasty to rule Russia. They first came to power in 1613 and ruled over the next three centuries. 18 Romanovs ruled the Russian People.In 1917, Nicholas 11 abdicated the throne and in 1918, the Emperor and his family were executed. My grandparents left Russia prior to World War I in their quest for freedom to escape discrimination. Since the Russian Revolution, Stalin, Khrushchev and now Putin and others have ruled Russia. Their dynasties are more short-lived than the Romanov’’s.
Under authoritarian rule, freedom for whom? According to news reports, Putin lies about his Ukrainian war. Some of the Russian soldiers believed they were going on Military exercises. Now, it is reported that his privatized military is creating havoc among the civilian population in Ukraine.
It’s obvious that Putin was not elected democratically; has killed his opponents and imprisoned other opposition. There is no free press; no free media; and the state dictates his wishes. Putin has oligarchs, his military, and his own political system. This group has more freedom according to the definition. The population at large does not have as much freedom.
Roughly 80 years ago, there was Nazi rule in Germany. An authoritarian took control and began a war on Poland, claiming they first attacked. The humiliation suffered in World War I; the Great Depression; employment scarcity , poor economic conditions and the Jews were blamed for Germany’s plight. Does that mean that .Albert Einstein,Paul Ehrlich, Erik Erickson,Kurt Goldstein, Kurt Lewin, Sigmund Freud, Fritz Perls, Theodore Adorno, Theodore Lessing, Herbert Marcuse, Karl Marx, Hannah Arendt, Gustav Mahler, Felix Mendelson, Andre Previn, Anne Frank , Heinrich Heine,Eugene Sandow ,Alfred Adler, Viktor Frankl ,Franz Kafka etc had to be scapegoated and blamed for German blood being what?
What were the dynamics that caused so many Germans to follow an authoritarian madman with the result that they became victims? Briefly, many of these lower middle class, jobless officers , and students were alienated individuals. They were experiencing unconsciously and somewhat consciously their insignificance especially if out of work or with limited income. Spousal and family relationships suffered. One can be king of the castle only when wife and kids are his subjects. Not being able to provide economically also affects one's self-esteem as well as one's relevance. Further, related are feelings of being powerless. How can one change their economic deficits without some manner of control? They did not have control over opportunities for employment; availability of employment; let alone able to determine hours and wages. With economic constraints, one does not have the power and control over self or others. This leads to feeling inferior, especially when comparing themselves to others who seemed to be doing well like German Jews.
One way to escape psychologically these feelings is through transference or identification .It’s a mechanism in order to supplement or compensate for a weakness. One can identify with a person, a flag, tribe, country, or even an animal like in times of old. In other words, the individual requires some outside something outside oneself in order to acquire that strength or deficit which that the individual is lacking. It's essentially a substitute .
With identification, a sadomasochistic character trait becomes established. When one identifies, one becomes dependent on, subservient, relying upon, and devoted to. This dependency often expresses itself passively to this external force. In doing so, one accepts blame, resignation, fate, willing to admit wrongdoing and even atone. In other words, one can easily become a victim with masochistic tendencies. Also, aggressive, callous, perverted, vicious, brutal , cruel or sadistic tendencies become activated. We now have a sadomasochistic character trait. In inflicting pain upon another, one often requires a scapegoat. In one's collective unconscious, the Jews have been targets. So German and Austrian Jews can be conveniently scapegoated because of envy of their economic well-being, their educational excellence, professional superiority, and their artistic talent.Their contributions to German society becomes irrelevant.
Let Hitler rise from the ashes. With the brutal and humiliating defeat of World War I,a treaty was implemented. There was a Treaty of Versailles that consisted of Germany accepting guilt for starting the war; limiting the Germany army to 100,000 men; Germany having to pay for damages caused by the war; and German territories and colonies being taken over. Germany despised the treaty, did not take part in the conference and disagreed upon the terms imposed upon them by others. We now have the motive for revenge or to avenge that wrong handed out by these other nations.
With that being said, rising from the ashes was Hitler. This egotistical madman was hypnotic during his late night rallies when people were tired at the end of the day and suggestable to be hypnotized. His messages were carried on the radio and newspaper. His rhetoric symbolizes strength, power and sureness despite lies and mixed messages. Individuals wore armbands, saluted him and marched with togetherness. The strength was reinforced while the military-industrial complex began arming themselves for the next conflict. The youth was indoctrinated and fed the propaganda of superiority. Who cared that Hitler did not acknowledge Jesse Owens' triumphs at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin? Hitler became their model, their idol and their god.
His loyal followers followed him to their graves. Yes, they did follow him and wound up being victims themselves and they didn't even have to commit suicide. Did these followers of Hitler, establish freedom? Is freedom associated with defeat; is freedom associated with being a loser; is freedom being associated with being killed; is freedom associated with entering a war that can't be won; is freedom associated with hearing one side of the story; is freedom associated with lies ; is freedom associated with having to serve in the military; is freedom associated with the burning of books; is freedom associated with hate; is freedom associated with discrimination ?
Being alienated, the individual is unable to trust or have faith in self, to trust or have faith in others but instead escapes to an idol. In doing so, the individual negates his individuality and his ability to reason. In essence, the alienated are escaping from freedom because the idol leader negates freedom. For example, Hitler was called the builder of a new Germany. Instead, he was the maniac of destruction.However, freedom is possible, likely, under certain conditions. These conditions include knowledge of self, of others, of socioeconomic conditions, of a collective unconscious history while pursuing truth and independence.
PS
Janis Joplin your words "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose" is discouraging to say the least. Without freedom in areas of economics, health, education, politics and religion, we have everything to lose.Pope John Paul II added “ Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.”
Reference
Fromm,Erich. The Sane Society.
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