Since there's no bell, book, and candle, I won't bother to argue it. Instead, I want to discuss something I've noticed that his post mysteriously made me remember:
Most people worship the twin gods of Obsession and Convenience. Many Christians have given up monotheism and put these two idols on the mantelpiece too. Sometimes it's not easy to tell, because Obsession can sure look like a lot of work, but inevitably you can tell, because there is Convenience hiding out there in the background- the fast, quick, and thoughtless way of taking care of everything that is not your Obsession.
Very few people care about freedom for this reason. Perhaps there are a few who actually have freedom as their Obsession, but most people who come to think about freedom to so because the State got in the way of their Obsession, perhaps by being inconvenient, or by making something illegal. But, for the vast majority of people, the government can appear to support the Obsession and make everything else more Convenient. This is bread and circuses on a grand scale. And the bureaucrats seem to be getting better at it all the time.
I first noticed this long ago, and the context had nothing to do with politics. A friend of mine was in her 30s and she was dating a 40 something physical trainer with a passion for biking. She wanted to get married; it was obvious to everyone but her that wasn't going to happen. This guy had an Obsession, and he couldn't have a real relationship; he needed something Convenient so that he could spend most of his time training.
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