What is freedom? Is there an absolute definition in modern society, or does the term fall prey to ones perception? The definition when used as a noun:
- 1.The condition of being free of restraints.
- 2.Liberty of the person from slavery, detention, or oppression.
- 3.Political independence.
Sounds pretty straight forward right? But there is a problem. What does one consider opression? What about slavery? This is the age we live in, everyday words with specific meaning and purpose, that are interpreted hundreds of different ways, based on ones experiences. Freedom in America, is not the same as freedom in France. In France, their perception of freedom is different from that of the United Kingdom. People know only what they are used to, and familiar with. The same way that a child growing up, becomes a product of his/her surroundings.
For the sake of this article let's focus on American Freedom. The American experiment was unique in that it would allow the individual to govern him/herself, and provide an opportunity to choose a direction in life, as opposed to being placed in a class, or forced to work in a profession that is not of your choosing, with no chance of upward mobility. That is why I can't stand the term "middle class".
Capitalism is the ultimate form of freedom, and it has created the highest standard of living known to man. Capitalism does not "create" wealth directly, it provides the opportunity for wealth through incentive, and ability to bear the fruit that is a result of your labor. Alright, at this point the libs are going to say that I hate poor people. Nothing could be further from the truth. I just want them to work for the compensation that they get in the form of currency. After all, isn't that the cry of the collectivist? Fair share, right? But fair share should not amount only to financial contributions, but labor, skilled or otherwise. Why is it ok to ask for half of the population to pay their "fair share" while the other half, pays 0. If you call BS on this, then you need to do some research. IRS.gov, and treasury.gov are good places to start. Get it right from the horses mouth.
The ultimate form of freedom, is the ability to seize opportunity, in order to take advantage of God given talent, and utilize that talent in the most productive manner possible. That is freedom! And it has nothing to do with the poor, or the rich, but it has everything to do with the ability to choose one or the other.