Dan Rather: Freedom Defined, and Distorted

[Nevilledog]

https://steady.substack.com/p/freedom-defined-and-distorted


“To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” — Nelson Mandela

Perhaps it was the Fourth of July, or the confluence of national and world events, but for some reason I have been thinking a lot about the notion of “freedom.” It’s a big concept, difficult to adequately define, and subject to the biases of one’s own perspectives. It is a personal emotion and a collective action. It is both an ideal, and a reality, rooted in laws, and also in customs. It is a concept that shapes history and can also be found in the multitudinous interactions that define our daily lives. The ideal of freedom can inspire. But it also can be co-opted to justify oppression.

This past week we saw an outpouring of one type of freedom. Watching the protests in Cuba has been inspiring. One cannot help but marvel at and be moved by the courage of a people rising up to face down an autocratic regime. The yearning for freedom is universal.

However, the definition of “freedom” was very different this past week as crowds of Trump loyalists gathered at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Texas. At CPAC, a parade of speakers took to the stage extolling a “freedom” that makes a mockery of the word’s true meaning. Their “freedom” is the freedom to repudiate science, denigrate public health, suppress free and fair elections, and undermine the very notion of a pluralistic society based on mutual respect for our fellow citizens and the sustainable health of our planet.

*snip*