eugenesparrow

We can probably move in two directions.

One of a sort of ‘freedom’ that ensures chaos, no government control, capitalism, war and the constant fight for survival on socio-economic and environmental terms…

…OR…

One of a sort of ‘peace’ that probably looks something like Universal Basic Income, Social Credit Scores, complete government control and autonomous everything (war included), capitalism (still), and the constant fight for the survival of the will to live.

—

The fight is to give us meaning. The hoorah camaraderie of the collective action is far more important to the individual than the action itself. Most people, it would seem, are fighting simply to declare their right to do so, and are not so as concerned with the details of whowhatwhenwerewhy they are fighting for.

And so, who wants Peace and who wants Freedom? And are the two synonymous?

I think we can all grow out of the mindset by now that it has to be a complete one or the other. Radicalism isn’t seeing the whole picture, and when you go too far in one direction, you inevitably come out on the other side.

So what are we fighting for? Is it for Freedom?

Does anybody really know what Peace looks like?

My perspective is that we start analyzing the future of what both could look like.

We can not expect safety at home, while we support this idea of “fighting for freedom” by quashing and dominating cultures and resources around the world and calling them ours.

And we can not “Fight for Peace” by waving flags or dropping bombs.

I guess it all depends on which side of the barrel you lay on. Because you can’t beg for safety amongst wolves. They will eat you. Give the terrified, motivated, and enraged man behind the gun an opportunity to shot, and he will do so, too.

So what does ensuring peace look like then? Do I arm myself to the teeth and imagine every threat of danger I might have to guard against?

Do I force my neighbor to throw away all their guns, and make them to trust that when the time comes, I will keep the peace and ensure their safety? Do I believe even myself capable of doing that?

See what I mean?

At this point, ensuring peace might mean giving everyone a gun and teaching them how to use one. More peace might mean that we all take more responsibility for our own personal safety and community. More peace might even mean more chaos, or perhaps we could call it a more Agoristic way of approaching things.

Agorism, by the way, is just the Libertarian word for Anarchy. More on that some other time…

In the end, as in the beginning, both Peace and Freedom will involve sacrifices that the other is not always willing to make. If complete Peace means total control and enforcement of the rules, then Freedom will have something to say about that. If total Freedom means lawless chaos, debauchery, and lack of infrastructure, then Peace will find a way to instill some order.

There is always tension necessary to keep a system together, and when we lean too far one way or the other, it breaks. We can not keep shouting against these technologies we know nothing about, we learn them instead. We can not just keep our kids from violence, or discourage freedom and adventure for the sole purpose of ensuring Peace and Safety.

We need to breed risk takers, and rule breakers by creating well-guided individuals with a sturdy system of support. Love. Spirit. Family. Home. Education. Work. All need to be better suited and adapted to the ensure the proper balance of those two things.

Peace (of mind) and Freedom (to use it).

Let’s work on that.

-§parrow