Freedom. A short post

Someone on one of the communities I frequent who was a former coastie and is now a Medic in the Military,, started a post about Communism which led another member to ask the question of "

OTOH, it pains me to say that I see something similar in the US. We have 
the Patriot Act, TSA Inspectors, our government attempting to dictate 
policies of the church through unconstitutional rules, and yet the mantra 
remains "We're free." I have to wonder do we even know what it means to 
be free anymore."

A very Good question. Are we as  FREE as we think we are?  As a nation? As a people?  On a personal level? Do we even understand what the word free means any more?  For the 1st two, I just don't know. As the quote above indicates with all the stuff that come down the pike in the past 10yrs, and even more so in just the last 3 years, (The Healthcare Bill, the repeated attempts to regulate and control the 'net,  some other stuff which I may post links to later) I'm not so sure any more.  I haven't been sure in years frankly.  
The one thing I'm absolutely dead certain about is that if we allow our government to continue down the path it's on, be it under Obama, or Romney..we're screwed. It's not all the President's fault though.  Clinton for his first 2 years, Bush from 2001 on, and Obama from the beginning, have had mostly willing accomplices en masse in the Body of Government we refer to in general, simply as...Congress. 

The House of Representatives, in the past, now and always has controlled the nations purse strings if you will.  Which is a good thing generally.  At the moment though it seems that, that historical fact and point of law is ignored and our government just spends, spends, spends.  Seriously?  Not a single budget passed for the last 3 goddamn years?  

Ach..I've gone to rambling again.  So much for a short post. :p
Back to the matter at hand.  So long as our current president in particular and especial, and our "government of, for and by the people" continue to ignore the people who provide the funds and pay their salaries...our current path can and will end only one way........badly. We will NOT be free.

As for on a personal level, freedom to me has a different meaning that it does to, it seems, the population at large.  Freedom to me is the ability, the freedom if you will, to make my own choices and decisions.  It means that I will freely, honorably and with integrity accept the responsibility for my actions.  In other words I'll live with the consequences. I won't and will never say I won't bitch unmercifully about those consequences and my own stupidity in bringing about the bad ones.  I can and will however accept responsibility for my own screw ups.

To too many people it seems to me the word freedom means
1.Never taking responsibility for your own situation. It's always someone else's fault.
2. Never working a day, letting other people pay your bills, pay your debts and pay for your 6 kids by 5 different baby daddy's.

I could continue to make an itemized list but I won't bother since most of you know the list as well as I do.

So anyway, that's my thoughts on FREEDOM today.

Remember TANSTAAFL and as always...
I now return you to your regularly scheduled inanity and insanity.