What does freedom mean to you?

‘ME FIRST’ PUBLIC FIGURES

The public figures I most disagree with and abhor, are those who use their positions for self-promotion over and above their roles in organisations they represent.

A desire for self-aggrandisement means that many public figures’ positions into which they are appointed or voted, are used to big-note themselves. By putting themselves first, they can and often diminish the organisations they work for or represent.

I have little respect for public figures who use organisations in this way. Unfortunately, many people prioritise themselves in this manner.

My respect is for those public figures who are there for others – being representatives true to the roles they fill.

FREEDOM’S JUST ANOTHER WORD …

“Freedoms just another word for nothing left to lose” – the words from the Kris Kristofferson’s song ‘Bobby McGee’ resonate with me in contemplating this question.

Once upon a time, people had personal privacy – perhaps the most valuable and unappreciated of freedoms. It was possible to be anonymous.

Fast forward to 2023 and the lack of privacy available to people makes George Orwell’s “1984” look quite insignificant by comparison with the amount of data that is now recorded on every one of us. Interestingly, there’s lots of talk and hyperbole about our right to privacy – but that’s just all talk; nothing is private and everything is now on file for everyone.

Whenever anyone wants to know about anybody it’s quite possible to get to that information quickly. Often, people who are being investigated have no clue whatsoever about what’s going on. The Internet and social media together with the clandestine operation of some organisations have stripped us of our privacy and exposed us to the world. I no longer worry about privacy because I know there is none.

Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose: there is nothing left to lose because everybody can find out anything about anybody at any time.

Nothing left about privacy is all there is for me; so juxtapositionally that offers me freedom.

E