Do you believe there is such a thing as freedom?

(Excepted from Simply Wilde by Stuart Wilde)


Freedom is relative - the further you move away from your relatives, the more freedom you have! Seriously, though, there are varying degrees of freedom. As you move up through the mineral, vegetable, and animal kingdom, the more freedom of movement a collection of molecules has, and the greater the power and complexity of their evolution. So freedom is defined by the parameters of movement an organism enjoys. It's also, in the metaphysical sense, the power of the oscillation of energy - the velocity, if you like. In human terms, it's also the power to influence others with one's energy. In its simplest terms, freedom is defined by the extent of your choices.

Within humanity, degrees of freedom vary. There are people who are very rich and technically free, but they are imprisoned by their greed or fears, often tangled in endless squabbles over money. Others maybe almost penniless but truly free, for they have the mobility to wander the land, consuming very little and needing little to sustain themselves emotionally and physically. They are simple and complete. The name of the game is, get rid of most of your self-imposed personal rules and restrictions, then try as best you can to work around most of the rules of tick-tock.

Do you think the democratic system allows space for the individual?

The modern democratic system definitely does not allow enough space for the individual. We need a society that is ordered, lawful, and cares for its weaker members. But we also need a society where people are free to operate without the intrusion, surveillance, and permission of those people who govern the country.

What we need is a democratic system whereby the voters appoint administrators who have the voters wants and needs at heart. In other words, we need governments that are employed by the citizens, not governments that rule over the citizens. The democratic system will fragment and eventually collapse within a generation or two, and it will have to be replaced by smaller, more manageable units of governments.

What are your beliefs on censorship?

Basically, I don't think there should be any censorship. I think people ought to have the right to say what they want. However, I do understand that to live in a society, we do need certain moral boundaries. Two people in the privacy of their own home can get up to whatever they both agree on, but the media has to have a little decorum and not infringe on other people's privacy by broadcasting or publishing socially offensive stories. It seems to me that in the USA, censorship is fairly extreme. People are scared to contradict anyone else. A lot of American thought is being straight-jacketed into a slightly left-of-center political correctness that doesn't allow for anybody to stand up and say, "Excuse me, this is a bunch of rubbish. Why don't we change things?" So it does seem to me that there is a censorship imposed because people are scared of negative reactions, scared of losing readers or viewers, and therefore advertising dollars.

On the other hand, Australia seems to be overrun with opinions but lacks wise direction. Australia doesn't need censorship, but perhaps it does need more informed debate.

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