[originally published in my Octant, October 2006]
Electronically tagging passengers at airports is itself an act of terrorism, freethinkers may say!
I simply found it incredulous to consider that BBC online could report on the possibility of electronically tagging passengers as though this was something that could even be considered of remote social good.
What is of even greater concern is that the report appears totally unconcerned about a trial of the tagging of passengers in an Eastern European country (Hungary, to be precise). Not so long ago, this would clearly have been recognised for what it is: a not-so-subtle transformation of a country’s citizens to prisoners-of-the-state.
Freedom vs ‘Security’
If J.G. Bennett, in The Dramatic Universe, opens his Opus with ‘Security can only be achieved at the cost of freedom’, he certainly forgets to also mention that the kind of ‘security’ achieved is not itself secure, but rather leads down paths of repressive political regimes.
The way we are allowing our western societies to slip into bureaucracies and autocracies is in itself of concern. How we are allowing fear to dictate reactions that are effectively taking away freedoms we take for granted, and producing societies in which ‘bodyguards’ and equivalent are given effective power over fellow citizens has consequences we may not realise until a return towards freedom becomes very difficult.
Freedom is not degenerate
There is no doubt that these excessive steps have not only been taken, but allowed to take place, as a consequence of extreme islamic groups or individuals that not only see in western society degeneration or decadence, but have also, in the past few years especially, taken murderous steps within our treasured western cultural achievements towards freedom of expression – and ACHIEVEMENTS they have been!
This needs to be actively countered by proclaiming the benefits of a secular society in which individual freedom is not only encouraged, but valued. Each within such a secular society may have his or her own beliefs, and also have his or her cherished beliefs made fun of, dismissed as simply incorrect, and certainly not universalised.
When faced with other extremists, our forebears had the strength and temerity to proclaim communism and fascism simply incompatible with a society that prizes honour and virtue of the individual and the development of social and religious freedom. Islam has, more recently, come to headlines in the same vein that communism and fascism, once in power, have shown themselves to be with regards to individual freedom and the condemnation they pronounced on differences of view and the development of personal thought and expression.
The decadence of western society
The decadence of western society has indeed began, and will continue to slowly gain momentum as it withdraws freedom from individual citizens, or prohibits ever more expressions on the call-cry of the intolerant crying out that they have been wronged as someone may see in one’s claimed prophet only a false prophet or idolatry.
Vilification of western society is becoming, unfortunately, an acceptable yelp by intolerant bigots.
Freedom is certainly NOT decadent!
Links:
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.