Freedom: The Truth

Most Americans have conflicting views on our countrys idea of freedom. Wherever there is a
patriot praising everything about our country, there is also some angry conspiracy theorist preaching
about the downfall of government. Freedom as a whole, however, is a complex idea that can both help
and hurt a nation depending on how it is integrated within the government.
A Worthy and Noble Cause
For as long as humans have been able to think for themselves, they have longed to make their
own decisions and discoveries and truly live for themselves. This can be seen even today as the people
of Ukraine fight against Russia to keep their rights. According to journalists C.J. Chivers and Andrew Roth
in the New York Times, Russia staged multiple protests to drive the push towards Ukraines submission
(The Curtain Goes Up, and the Clash Begins). Russias leader, Vladimir Putin, is trying to spread the
idea that the people of Ukraine cannot fend for themselves and in fact need Russias protection and
guidance. However, he never anticipated the Ukrainians to fight back with such vigor. Similar events
took place in our own countrys history as early American colonists fought for independence from Great
Britain. As explained by researcher Alec Ewald in his article, The American Republic: 1760-1870 this
rebellion has been viewed in many ways, both good and bad. On one hand, it can be seen as a righteous
and just fight for freedom, while on the other, it is a betrayal of the colonys ties with Britain. In truth,
American colonists firmly supported the idea that governments were created by the people to keep the
peoples interests at heart, so it only makes sense to attempt to alter the government and then secede if
all attempts for change fail. Colonists were willing to do everything possible to win this war, even
resorting to the development of a new battle tactic, guerilla warfare. As a whole, there are several
bumps and obstacles on the path to freedom, but the end result is truly one worth fighting for.
True Freedom, or True Chaos?
Keep in mind, however, that while the general idea of freedom is just and good, too much of it
can lead to disorder and chaos. Just look at what happened with the United States first attempt at a
government; the Articles of Confederation. According to an article titled, Articles of Confederation,
when early American colonists first separated from Britain, their plan of action was to create a new
government in which the people ruled. They feared a centralized government like the plague, so the
states were given the highest power. This would later prove to be the new governments downfall. Due
to the lack of centralized order, states could develop whatever laws and punishments they pleased,
often conflicting with other states. These discrepancies led to several interstate conflicts along with
quite a few rebellions, the worst of such being Shays Rebellion. There was a surplus of debt with new,
small farmers in Massachusetts, causing several poorer individuals to be jailed for inability to pay off
said debts. The farmers organized themselves in a way similar to the American Revolution, eventually
coming under the leadership of Daniel Shays. They tore across the country, pushing past the small state-
created armies that tried to stop them. It was only once George Washington himself gathered an army
large enough was the chaos quelled. Thousands of dollars-worth of damage could have easily been
avoided if the federal government had only been able to draft an army (law researchers Shirelle Phelps


and Jeffrey Lehman, 359-360). According to an article on McGraw-Hill.com titled Beginnings and Early
Civilizations (10,000-1,000 BCE), humanity began with this same sort of freedom. Without governing
bodies to watch over us, pointless savagery between tribes raged on without end. People lived in
constant fear for their lives and well-being. All moral wrong-doings were without consequence in a
world devoid of even the idea of law. Thankfully, this chaotic period of time did not last long. The
humans who wanted protection and peace all began to group themselves together and develop the
earliest forms of government, thus ushering in a new age of order and prosperity. Overall, it is only
natural for humans to desire and strive for freedom, but we must keep in mind that with freedom also
come the risks of disorder.
With Limitation Comes Order and Prosperity
Even with the chaotic nature of true freedom, it can still be made to do wonders with the guide
of limitation. As shown in a book by historian William A. Darity Jr. titled, Democracy, Representative
and Participatory, the United States government is a prime example of success through varying
degrees of limitation (283-285). While our people do retain their own individual rights, laws have been
created to stop people from abusing these rights. Those who create such laws also have limitations
placed on them, one such being the checks and balance system for our three branches of government;
Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary. The people also put limitations on our government, since we can
just as easily revoke the support we give them as they could take our rights away. Other countries,
however, have placed too many limitations on the people and not enough on the government. Amnesty
Internationals document on Russias recent government changes have shown us that despite Russias
laws allowing freedom of expression, they have recently been imprisoning and executing anti-war
protestors, resulting in thousands of unnecessary deaths (Russia: Freedom of Expression). Over in
Syria, reporter Safa Rifay explains that Syrias government did not want its people to consider even the
idea of freedom (Syria: A Country Fighting). For years, their leaders thought only of keeping
themselves in power as they executed hundreds of freedom protestors. Even regions like Cuba
according to a Department of State Bulletin have succumbed to this power monger system of ruling
(Cuba's human rights abuses under the UN spotlight). Government leader Fidel Castro uses fear to rule
his people, denying all human rights and punishing those who ask for them. But places like Egypt have
been hit the worst, as explained by the Washington Post (Egypts Military Shows It Is No Friend of
Freedom). Their government only wants propaganda to be spread rather than the actual news. The
military leaders have even gone as far as arresting foreign reporters to keep the truth sealed. It is
surprising how much these Egyptians are willing to tolerate from their government. In summary, while
this suppressive form of government may seem like a quick and easy way to maintain both order and
power, many forget the power of a rebellious group of people willing to risk everything to gain back
their rights.
It May not Work for Everyone
Yet despite all these easy steps that could be taken to ensure the success of a controlled and
free nation, the system still may not work for all those who try it. As journalist Shadi Hamid of the New
York Times proclaimed, even though the people of Egypt just recently finished their three year push for


democracy, they have begun to return to their old, militaristic ways (Stability versus Democracy in
Egypt). This was mostly due to the weakness of the countrys newly elected president. The one
mistake Egypt made was not establishing a firm government system to limit their leaders, thus allowing
the president to seize control of such weaknesses to promote his own power. Egyptian citizens now
crave the strict but organized structure of their previous military-run government over this new, chaotic
one. Thailand had similar problems, as showcased in historian Joshua Kurlantzicks Thailand: A
Democratic Failure and Its Lessons for the Middle East. The Taiwanese people had been fighting for
democracy for a long time, but success had caused them to become lazy with their protests, thus
allowing for a Thai business tycoon to take advantage of this weakness and assume control. Once he
made promises to help the poor, the tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra was elected president in a landslide of
votes. However, he merely used this position to strengthen himself and his allies, and punish those who
stood in his way. Thanks to all of this chaos, the middle class who had initially led the rebellion were
now left mostly unemployed as homeless, feeling as if democracy had hurt them more than it had
helped them. In short, freedom is a very meticulous idea that requires constant support in order to
maintain whatever prosperity it brings, least its people suffer the consequences.
In conclusion, there are many mixed views towards freedom in our world, including its noble yet
chaotic nature, but when paired with limitation; it can bring about wonders to a nation, even if not
everyone has the ability to make it work. Whether or not freedom helps or hurts a nation truly depends
on how the government implements it and how the people use it. Knowledge truly is power when it
comes to the use of freedom, and the more people learn the truth about it, the more we can implement
it across the world to bring about a true sense of peace and order.














Works Cited
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Jeffrey Lehman. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 359-360. U.S. History In Context. Web. 19
Apr. 2014.
2) "Beginnings and Early Civilizations (10,0001000 BCE)." McGraw-Hill. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr.
2014.
3) Board, Editorial. "Egypts Military Shows It Is No Friend of Freedom." Washington Post. The
Washington Post, 04 Feb. 2014. Web. 04 Apr. 2014
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Mar. 2014: A9(L). General OneFile. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
5) "Cuba's human rights abuses under the UN spotlight." Department of State Bulletin 89.2153
(1989): 54+. Academic OneFile. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
6) "Democracy, Representative and Participatory." International Encyclopedia of the Social
Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 283-
285. U.S. History In Context. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
7) Ewald, Alec. "The American Republic: 1760-1870." The American Democracy: 1760-1870.
Southeast Vermont Community Learning Collaborative, May 2004. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
8) Hamid, Shadi. "Stability versus Democracy in Egypt." New York Times 27 Jan. 2014. Web. 25
Mar. 2014.
9) Kurlantzick, Joshua. "Thailand: A Democratic Failure and Its Lessons for the Middle East." Council
on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, Mar. 2011. Web. 04 Apr. 2014.
10) Rifay, Safa. "Syria: A Country Fighting for Freedom and Dignity". SalaamCal. N.p., 25 Apr. 2013.
Web. 04 Apr. 2014.
11) "Russia: Freedom of Expression Falls Victim to the Dramatic Events in Ukraines Crimea."
Amnesty International. Amnesty International, 3 Mar. 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.