Would you rather live in Liberty or Safety?

What do you value more, freedom or security?

We all give up some of our freedom in exhanged for some security, but what about when it is taken to the extremes?

Examples: I remember some people saying that Saddam Hussein might have been a cruel and unjust dictator, but at least he kept his country in order, and the Iraqi people were better off with him. Some say that though there is a lot of violence and chaos in Iraq, at least the people are free and Saddam Hussein gone, freedom isn't free, and the freedom will eventually breed security there.
Some here in America think we have given up too many rights and privacy to help the War on Terror; while others think we should do more with national ID cards and personal locating devices and good people will have nothing to hide. Both sides have used "you only have so long to live" as an argument.
Some say liberty is an illusion, others say safety is an illusion. What do you think?




"Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master."
-Sallust

"The fruit of too much liberty is slavery."
-Cicero

"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety, and will lose both."
-Benjamin Franklin

 

I would say Freedom. Freedom to me is dignity, and I would die for that ultimate dignity.

 

Too profound for the JCC.

 

Nah, I think that underestimates a lot of people.

 

I prefer liberty over overwhelming safety. Having a bit of danger in the world makes life interesting..

 

None can ensure my safety but My God and me,the rest is smoke and mirrors.

 

FREEEEEEEDOMMMM!!!

 

Its not that black and white.

 

Well, this is conjecturing on what you would pick if it was.

 

I wouldn't mind a nice margin of 20/30% safety to 70/80% freedom.

-The Scummy-

 

"Give me liberty or give me death" ~ Patrick Henry

 

"Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty."

- Thomas Jefferson

 

Obviously it isn't simple, but I prefer liberty if only because I hate obeying people.

 

Despotism as a form of government clearly does not function as well as democracy.

 

"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety, and will lose both."
-Benjamin Franklin


Franklin was wrong. Liberty and saftey exist on a spectrum, and just because you move towards a bit more security doesn't mean you don't deserve either.

Without safety there could be no true liberty, so I am going to go with safety.

 

Yes, but the irony is, that in a society that uses the utmost means of force in the service of "safety", that is usually when the citizenry is least safe.

 

Hey, EBB do you remember that time when I made that thing about "the vicissitudes of the phenomenon known as individuality" and you said it was slave logic? Can you help me find that?

 

The people of Iraq were neither free nor safe under Saddam.

I would choose librerty.

 

I don't remember the thread topic.

 

I honestly don't feel less free than I did years ago.

 

That didn't make any of your ideas clear at all.

 

Nor do I, crap.

But it would be so perfect for this thread. . .