Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The road to freedom is not paved with politics

The road to freedom is not paved with politics

Freedom is not to be found in "politics". If you enjoy politics, then by all means play the game, but don't make the mistake of thinking that those who don't share your interests are "not doing anything" for freedom. The case may be that they are doing more by simply living free than all the activists combined will ever achieve. After all, "politics" doesn't have a very good track record of promoting freedom in any meaningful way.

You can be completely non-political while staying informed and increasing your own freedom. By your example, you can inspire others to increase their own freedom and give them an idea of how it can be done.

My own advice is to ignore the state and its ridiculous "laws" as much as possible; only paying attention to the tyranny in order to avoid becoming a statistic of state brutality. If you are a sociable sort, find like-minded people with whom you can share ideas. You could even join a secret society of free individuals. Do what makes you happy as long as it doesn't involve initiating force or deception.

What is probably the most powerful thing you can do for the future of freedom? Give your children a taste for freedom. It will stay with them for a lifetime. I was recently reading a friend's blog and she pointed out that letting your children experience freedom makes them remember it and want it. Looking back over my own childhood, I see how true that is.

As a child I wandered far from the watchful eyes of my parents. Taking chances. Exploring. It gave me a taste for freedom that will never fade. Even with, or possibly because of, the very real risks involved, there is probably no greater gift you can give your children. It teaches resourcefulness and responsibility. After all, if you get treed by a pack of angry feral dogs where no one can rescue you, you had better figure out a solution. More than anything else, my own childhood freedom probably had more influence on my current hunger for freedom than any other experience or teaching. I have tried to pass that along to my own children. I'm still trying. This is the road that will eventually lead to widespread freedom.