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DarkWolf6606 -> RE: Who are more free... Americans or Europeans (8/17/2013 12:29:12 PM)
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And in my final response on this thread: My reference to self indulgence and self deception wasn't included because of the fact that most citizens call themselves "Americans". It was in reference to what, in my own perspective is the overall condition of the average U.S. citizen.
Now granted, it appears that the majority of frequent posters to this forum have a higher level of intelligence than the average joe that I run into on a day to day basis, but then I've spent the majority of my life in rural and semi-rural areas. Not having the experience of recent contact with your average urban dweller, my perspective could well be jaded by that particular dynamic. It could also be that individuals that have a proclivity for BDSM and fetish related activities and lifestyles possess a heightened awareness of all things intellectual. At least in my own experience that has been the case more often than not, though I'm sure many of you could argue that case as well..
Again, I'm all for a healthy dose of self-indulgence though I tend to refrain from self-deception. Quite the contrary and perhaps even to a fault.
My personal observation is that the majority of U.S. citizens are self-indulgent in that lives are predominantly based upon material acquisition and possession and self worth is often based on financial criteria rather than a personal one. In a culture where more often than not one of the top ten questions asked in a conversation between strangers is "What do you do for a living", whether out of genuine curiosity or just conditioning, I see as a reflection of the true nature of the beast.
As for self-deception, (albeit much of the average viewpoint is programmed conditioning) my experience is that the average "American's" knowledge and perspective of the various regions of the world are very narrow in scope and knowledge, compared to let's say the average Europeans, as to the true state of affairs of our economy, our government and our freedoms.
It is true that we are a nation of laws, perhaps way more than we need to truly live freely. When freedom is viewed from the perspective of legality, rather than a basic integral and personal nature it serves to highlight the basic problem of definition. I see it that we are all free to do whatever we so choose and live our lives however we wish. It's the level of consequences for our actions in a given locality that bears the discussion of whether or not we are "more free" and since Europe is a continent of nations, all with their own set of laws, cultures and mores, the original question posed in this thread is erroneous in that it introduces too many variables. Thus, the discussion divulged into a comparison of quality of life mixed with legalities and moralities of culture. We might as well have had a discussion about who is more free? Those who live in California or those who live in on the Eastern Seaboard?
Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone who participated as it was a good study of the human perspective, both in its limitations and it's expansion of cultural consciousness. Take care and be well...
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