The Social Codicil 2

The Social Codicil 2:

Nuance

 

It's all about nuance.

Creating something and protecting that something are not the same thing. Therefore, creating freedom and protecting freedom are not the same thing. 

The military does not make us free.

Let me say that again: The military does not make us free. They do not give us our freedom.  Yet I hear that all too often. 

Stop saying otherwise. It's a cop out. If they provide our freedom, then there's nothing for me to do except throw them a bone occasionally, yeah?

The military simply ensures that external actors - foreign governments/foreign militaries - cannot take your freedom away. They are the fence around the playing field; it is up to us to set the rules within that field and play fairly by them.

Insert any war you want... that war did not make us free. No, not even the Revolution of 1776. It got the king off our backs, yes, but freedom isn't defined as a mere the lack of a king. As Rousseau said, Democracy doesn't automatically equal freedom.  One would think the Declaration of Independence was clear on this as well (“They are endowed by their creator”), but apparently not.

Freedom is a choice made all day, every day, by everyone who desires it.  No one can do it for you.  Freedom begins with the mind and the self. Wherever you stand; whatever your encumbrances.

It begins with education. How else can you recognize the charlatan and the false path?

And it begins with belief.  We can do better. 

And it begins with empathy.  I know why we should do better.

I've always been struck by the seeming irony of two songs as they were performed by Nina Simone.

As the title implies, I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free is the painful cry of someone who is not physically free. It should hurt to listen to it.

And yet... listen to how she sings it.  This is not a mournful ballad. This is someone in control; someone whose joy cannot be silenced.  This is someone who knows the value of freedom better than anyone reading this could possibly know. This is someone who has lived through the worst of it and survived.

Listen. Just listen to her voice. The phrase "it takes a nation of millions to hold us back" sure feels apt, doesn't it?

The other song is the much-covered cheeseball swing tune Feelin' Good.  Most artists sing it like it's a raucous night on the town. Oh boy, we're having fun and I'm feelin' good!

But not Nina. She sings it like someone who should be little more than a stain on the floor.

Yet again, she survived. She's come out the other side stronger. This isn't a party song when she sings it; to me, it's a bloodied survivor processing her triumph and surveying her world with a newfound power and release. This is the one that hurts to listen to... but we're the better for it.

There are mental chains, spiritual chains, and physical chains.  One can be physically chained and spiritually liberated.  Or vice versa.  Any combo.

Rousseau's famous phrase that "Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains" is often wrongly interpreted as referring to government... you know, The Man... being on our backs.

Nope. We got 99 chains, and the government ain't one.

Seriously, the quote about chains is from page one of the middle book in a series of groundbreaking works. We all know not to judge a book by its cover, so let's not do that with page one either.

But don't we need democracy and limited government?  Nope. As I said above, later in the same book Rousseau says the type of government is largely irrelevant. We can be free under most types do long as they have democratic aspects.

Why? Because it's about us; you and me; the people. The government reflects the people... whether we want it to or not. Whether we're prepared for that or not.

The government never succeeds; people succeed.

The government never fails; people fail.

Again, freedom is a choice made every day. In other words, it requires us to be present. Active. Engaged. Paying attention.  Fully understanding the nuance of what is happening.

If you don't pay attention, well... isn’t there an old quote about how those who don't read have no advantage over those who can't read?

The same goes for civics.

When we do not educate ourselves, we are beholden to crackpots and charlatans. I.e. anyone who claims to be an expert because we lack the wherewithal to spot a real one. In other words, we have no metric to judge the good or the bad.

And when we are uninvolved, we have nothing to judge against that metric in the first place.

But I digress.

I started out talking about the role of the military; a role very much needed in our society.  Seriously, we couldn't be here without them, and they deserve the credit... but for protecting and ensuring freedom. NOT for giving it to us.

And so I understand the urge to thank them. And I certainly won't tell you not to say it.

But isn't it a far better thing to live a thank you instead?  In other words, two things:

First, the simple and easy part: Live up to the promises we made, in the form of medical benefits and military pensions. This costs tax money; put on your big kid pants and fucking deal with it.

Second, be free.  Actually be free. Exercise that freedom.

Pause: I DO NOT mean you should be a contrarian (see part 1). Just because everyone in the room has a job, that doesn't mean that freedom requires being unemployed. Same with showers, or diplomas.

I mean that the military has prevented Hitler, the Kaiser, and King George from controlling your life. How dare you hand that control over to some "Instagram influencer" or reality show star?  How dare you mimic the television?  How dare you sublet your dreams to Norman Lear?

You're allowed to think for yourself.  Honor that by not letting Fox News do that thinking for you.

You're allowed to express yourself.  Honor that by not letting paid marketers (manipulators) speak for you.

How dare you limit yourself by only what you know today?

And how will you know what to do or how to act if these folks don't tell you? How can you tell if they're trying reverse psychology on you? How can you tell if you're being manipulated?

By educating yourself. Read, listen, question, absorb, read, listen, question, absorb, repeat.

The military put themselves in harm's way. The least we can do is care for our neighbors and read a book once in a while.

And remember:

GOVERNMENTS NEVER FAIL.  PEOPLE FAIL.

On that note, I fixed the meme: