The Illusion of Freedom

State Capitalism, Socialism, Communism, Fascism... take a look at these systems and you'll see that these can all be determined to be livestock management approaches only we're not talking about cattle, horses, and four-legged beings - these systems manage humans as if we're livestock on two legs.

Some systems work for longer than others but they all involve oppression of human beings and thus - are not effective for allowing humans to be very free at all.

Take the red pill? (See the matrix we're in)

Present in all systems mentioned above.

Why, if we're all human beings with similar needs for survival - food, clothing, shelter, safety of person and personal belongings, human relationships and human contact - why then are we giving in to the ideologies that the systems above put forth?

In each one of these systems, human beings with the same general needs are encouraged to view other human beings as enemies, even - as in the case of immigrants - if they come into our realm and live with us.

If we all have similar needs - and a MAJOR NEED for our mental, emotional and spiritual health level is HUMAN CONTACT and relationships with other human beings - why then would we FEAR another person, allow our leaders and governments to "sell" the idea that anyone different from ourselves in cultural behavior, anyone from outside our area, etc is an "ENEMY"?

I say - TAKE THE RED PILL - let yourself SEE the matrix/slavery we're all in and see it for what it really is...

Patriotism is one of the most dangerous and detrimental ideas, overall, to all of mankind. The idea of love to a country, its leaders and people isn't inherently irrational and dangerous but the insertion of the notion of loving a country, leaders and similar people to the detriment and exclusion of all others not residing in your same country leads to deadly things.

These combined ideas are more complex than most people stop to think about! These ideas cause a break down of logical and critical thinking and allow for people to cry out, "For my country," "for my leader," "for my people," and do so AGAINST other human beings who do not reside in our same region. The "outsiders," if we think beyond nationality and patriotic statements and ideas, are flesh and blood, spiritually-connected, humanely-connected beings that we're supposed to care about - at least on a level of humane-ness.

Inherently, we probably DO really care about other people from other places. I don't know of too many people, personally, who truly want to see wars going on in the name of patriotism and love of country and its people. More often, I hear that people from many countries wish their heads of government would just STOP using military personnel as pawns for wargames, civilians for target-shooting or viewing civilians as unfortunate sacrifices in wargames.

Truly, we have more similarities than difference but it takes critical thinking and empathy to realize this.

Our CONFUSION and highly emotional reactions to the ideas and images of "war" and "killing" are probably a result of our minds going through extreme DISSONANCE (competing ideas in our minds ie: 1. we're all human beings 2. we should kill other human beings if we're told it is best for our country) but rather than examine this confusion, it is often easier to listen to someone tell us how to behave, react, think. The "someone" is often a government leader or spokesperson for a political group.

Here's a suggestion... love where you live, love the people around you in your own country - only try to avoid hating those not from your own country and who are foreigners, immigrants, etc... stop seeing YOUR country as the saviour of immigrants, for they HAVE A RIGHT to come to your country if theirs is not offering them safety! It is only SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION that allows for the idea of "land ownership." And there are NO LINES naturally around any country to distinguish the terrain from what is in or out of a country. The lines that might be visible are man-made barricades, fences, walls...think about it!

Take the red pill...

Nationalism promotes pretty much the same ideas as Patriotism does. One of the worst things about patriotism and nationalism is the "othering" and "dehumanization" of anyone outside of a geographical boundary or who doesn't have a familial link with people inside the "national" space in question.

This essentially puts everyone outside of a region into a concept, in the human mind, of "being the other who is not with us/me." This is the starting point by which people can then, dehumanize (stop thinking of as human) anyone who is an "other."

One who is a bigot prefers all his/her own preferences, ideas and prejudices be the most important ideas around and displays animosity or dehumanization of anyone with different preferences, ideas and beliefs.

A Nationalist prefers his/her own political and cultural ideas, preferences, practices and prejudices and believes these to be the most important ideas around - and is rewarded by like-minded nationalists for displaying animosity and dehuminization toward anyone with different preferences, ideas, cultural behaviors and belifs.

Nationalists have taken the blue pill. Yum Yum. Mmmm-good "we" and "they" and eliminate "they" mmm-bluepill.

How can we attain physical freedoms - the real ability to move around within reason (so long as we harm nobody in our wanderings and movement), when our minds are enslaved by notions and beliefs involving patriotism and nationalism, while we adhere to structures of power like capitalism, socialism, communism, fascism.

Democracy is for a different hub here but just a quick note:

Ask yourself whether the model of democracy in the country you're thinking of is really guided by input of the people - or whether it's truly an Oligarchy or monarchical power structure...claiming to be a democracy but functioning as a top down model, severely limiting the input of the democratic/civic majority.

"Zero Tolerance For The Lie"

Find your red pill, whatever it is and please, swallow it soon...