Worse Than the Loss of Freedom Itself

Trey Smith

I love freedom, like anybody; maybe more than most people. But it is such a tragedy if you live your life in fear. That's worse than actually losing your freedom.
~ from To Live Your Life in Fear Is Worse Than Losing Your Freedom by Ai Weiwei ~

These cautionary words were written by a Chinese artist and activist who was held for two months in secret detention due to what he calls trumped up charges for being an outspoken critic of his government. It would be easy to understand his words through the narrow lens of his homeland, but I think they apply universally.

From my perspective, his simple point flies over the heads of too many Americans. During the past decade, far too many of my countrymen have been more than willing to give up freedoms due to fear of various bogeymen. These bogeyman are the product of a conscious strategy by government and corporate leaders to steal freedom in order to extract more power (which equates into more wealth).

It is this "fear factor" that has changed the American landscape. We no longer trust each other and so we spend too much time fighting amongst ourselves, while Rome burns. Not only do we peons fight amongst ourselves, but, due to these intractable manufactured fears, we turn a blind eye to the wanton murder and destruction carried out by our government in our names.

This is not to suggest that there are not bona fide things to fear in this world -- there are indeed -- but we spend so much time and energy fearing phantoms that we end up not fearing that which is the most dangerous and pernicious: those who would take away our freedom based on false premises in order to satisfy their own craven desires.