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Or at least not enough responsibility.
This is something I've wondered about for a while. In the US, we have an extreme fixation with the idea of freedom. It's used to justify a lot of the things we do or enjoy that logic might tell us is not the best idea or even a good idea.
In that respect, there seems to be an emphasis of the idea of freedom that sort of drowns out any sort of higher brain function that might make you critically examine if what you're doing is a good idea or not regardless of the fact that you CAN do it.
"Do you really think you should be eating five Big Macs a day?"
"This is 'Merica! I have the freedom to eat what I want!"
"Ok...but you arent worried about potential medical complications and costs down the road of such a high risk diet?"
"Dont care!"
We seem to be obsessed with this idea that we HAVE to be free to do WHATEVER we want and yet there seems to be almost no emphasis on if we SHOULD do whatever we want. To paraphrase Dr. Malcom from everyone's favorite dinosaur movie, "You were so preoccupied with whether or not you could, you didn't stop to think if you should."
I feel like most Americans are obsessed with being able to do whatever they want that they dont stop to think if they should, they arent mature enough to understand that freedom comes with responsibilities. I feel like our society as a whole has not understood this concept and daily works to emphasize freedom over ALL other concerns.
Now this is not to say I'm in favor of a laundry list of new rules or restricting people's freedom, but I feel like we aren't really ready to handle as much freedom as we have. I feel like we need to be reminded to think about what we do beyond the permissive stage. I think it's great to have a society where you can do almost anything you want but I feel like that has to come AFTER you understand that there is a strong degree of responsibility.
I think the vast majority of us are guilty of this.
Or at least not enough responsibility.
This is something I've wondered about for a while. In the US, we have an extreme fixation with the idea of freedom. It's used to justify a lot of the things we do or enjoy that logic might tell us is not the best idea or even a good idea.
In that respect, there seems to be an emphasis of the idea of freedom that sort of drowns out any sort of higher brain function that might make you critically examine if what you're doing is a good idea or not regardless of the fact that you CAN do it.
"Do you really think you should be eating five Big Macs a day?"
"This is 'Merica! I have the freedom to eat what I want!"
"Ok...but you arent worried about potential medical complications and costs down the road of such a high risk diet?"
"Dont care!"
We seem to be obsessed with this idea that we HAVE to be free to do WHATEVER we want and yet there seems to be almost no emphasis on if we SHOULD do whatever we want. To paraphrase Dr. Malcom from everyone's favorite dinosaur movie, "You were so preoccupied with whether or not you could, you didn't stop to think if you should."
I feel like most Americans are obsessed with being able to do whatever they want that they dont stop to think if they should, they arent mature enough to understand that freedom comes with responsibilities. I feel like our society as a whole has not understood this concept and daily works to emphasize freedom over ALL other concerns.
Now this is not to say I'm in favor of a laundry list of new rules or restricting people's freedom, but I feel like we aren't really ready to handle as much freedom as we have. I feel like we need to be reminded to think about what we do beyond the permissive stage. I think it's great to have a society where you can do almost anything you want but I feel like that has to come AFTER you understand that there is a strong degree of responsibility.
I think the vast majority of us are guilty of this.
We do have a failed system of personalized freedom and public bailout.
YES, go ahead and eat 5 big macs a day...just don't expect ME to pay the medical bills.
In a way, it is sort of a social darwinist way of thinking. People should be free, but also must take responsibility for their freedom. If that means more stupid people die from taking the liberty of being stupid, then so be it. What better to decrease the surplus population than to let people perish from this earth by their own free will.
Freedom of speech ends when that freedom endangers the right of another--you can't yell fire at a theater. Does that not also apply to others. If refusing to allow for inspections at the airport allows terroists to have an easier path towards destruction does that not endanger others. Espeacially, if we have another 9-11, or something worse. Our rights come with responcibilities and right now those responcibilities seem to be delegated to the back burner by many American citizens.you can drive a car with your feet if you want to...but that don't make it a good ****in idea.
we have the freedom to make stupid decisions, we should also take the responsibilty for making them and not expect those who chose more wisely to bail us out.
We have enough of that from Obama and his type of would be dictators.
I feel like most Americans are obsessed with being able to do whatever they want that they dont stop to think if they should, they arent mature enough to understand that freedom comes with responsibilities. I feel like our society as a whole has not understood this concept and daily works to emphasize freedom over ALL other concerns.
Now this is not to say I'm in favor of a laundry list of new rules or restricting people's freedom, but I feel like we aren't really ready to handle as much freedom as we have. I feel like we need to be reminded to think about what we do beyond the permissive stage. I think it's great to have a society where you can do almost anything you want but I feel like that has to come AFTER you understand that there is a strong degree of responsibility.
I think the vast majority of us are guilty of this.
Or at least not enough responsibility.
This is something I've wondered about for a while. In the US, we have an extreme fixation with the idea of freedom. It's used to justify a lot of the things we do or enjoy that logic might tell us is not the best idea or even a good idea.
In that respect, there seems to be an emphasis of the idea of freedom that sort of drowns out any sort of higher brain function that might make you critically examine if what you're doing is a good idea or not regardless of the fact that you CAN do it.
"Do you really think you should be eating five Big Macs a day?"
"This is 'Merica! I have the freedom to eat what I want!"
"Ok...but you arent worried about potential medical complications and costs down the road of such a high risk diet?"
"Dont care!"
We seem to be obsessed with this idea that we HAVE to be free to do WHATEVER we want and yet there seems to be almost no emphasis on if we SHOULD do whatever we want. To paraphrase Dr. Malcom from everyone's favorite dinosaur movie, "You were so preoccupied with whether or not you could, you didn't stop to think if you should."
I feel like most Americans are obsessed with being able to do whatever they want that they dont stop to think if they should, they arent mature enough to understand that freedom comes with responsibilities. I feel like our society as a whole has not understood this concept and daily works to emphasize freedom over ALL other concerns.
Now this is not to say I'm in favor of a laundry list of new rules or restricting people's freedom, but I feel like we aren't really ready to handle as much freedom as we have. I feel like we need to be reminded to think about what we do beyond the permissive stage. I think it's great to have a society where you can do almost anything you want but I feel like that has to come AFTER you understand that there is a strong degree of responsibility.
I think the vast majority of us are guilty of this.
If some idiot eats five big macs just hope he dies of a heart attack before reproducing.
Or at least not enough responsibility.
This is something I've wondered about for a while. In the US, we have an extreme fixation with the idea of freedom. It's used to justify a lot of the things we do or enjoy that logic might tell us is not the best idea or even a good idea.
In that respect, there seems to be an emphasis of the idea of freedom that sort of drowns out any sort of higher brain function that might make you critically examine if what you're doing is a good idea or not regardless of the fact that you CAN do it.
"Do you really think you should be eating five Big Macs a day?"
"This is 'Merica! I have the freedom to eat what I want!"
"Ok...but you arent worried about potential medical complications and costs down the road of such a high risk diet?"
"Dont care!"
We seem to be obsessed with this idea that we HAVE to be free to do WHATEVER we want and yet there seems to be almost no emphasis on if we SHOULD do whatever we want. To paraphrase Dr. Malcom from everyone's favorite dinosaur movie, "You were so preoccupied with whether or not you could, you didn't stop to think if you should."
I feel like most Americans are obsessed with being able to do whatever they want that they dont stop to think if they should, they arent mature enough to understand that freedom comes with responsibilities. I feel like our society as a whole has not understood this concept and daily works to emphasize freedom over ALL other concerns.
Now this is not to say I'm in favor of a laundry list of new rules or restricting people's freedom, but I feel like we aren't really ready to handle as much freedom as we have. I feel like we need to be reminded to think about what we do beyond the permissive stage. I think it's great to have a society where you can do almost anything you want but I feel like that has to come AFTER you understand that there is a strong degree of responsibility.
I think the vast majority of us are guilty of this.
I think that's what RINYC was getting at.
No one else's life and decisions are your business, no matter what you "feel like." Conduct your own life responsibly and leave everyone else alone.
I should point out that such abuses are in violation of how the system's rules actually work. I'm not sure where you are, but in California you need to show the state where every penny that you have is and where it came from to even apply for benefits. Even then, ANY income at all needs to be reported and is processed with your benefits.For example, I have a classmate who claims to be unable to afford even catastrophic medical insurance. but she is going on a vacation to an island in the carribean in december, and just spent $500 getting tattoo work done. She brags up going to all weekend parties and festivals on a regular basis. Is she a bad person? Not really, but she's using state funded medicaid services when its quite possible that she could afford her own medical insurance should she choose to.
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