Knowing we are Free

[BADGE OF HONOR]

I like the point about trying to remove "sexist" pronouns as Orwellian, I hadn't thought of that before. It is Plus-Good.

Also, I use guy as a gender free pronoun in its singular anyway.

If feminists didn't spend so much time on pointless grammar changing the glass ceiling probably would be gone by now.

DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT HERSTORY?!!!

No, because she's a shit writer.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I used to tell people we live in an Anarchist Utopia. It was a kind of IRL troll in the days I used to hang out with activist-types. It was a lot of fun, because it is a very difficult claim difficult to argue against: we are all free to do as we will. You can smoke a joint in front of a police station - you just have to be prepared to deal with the consequences. You can do anything you can get away with.

It is very easy to confuse what we can't do with what we shouldn't do. It is all too easy to forget that we have the choice. The internet pirate, downloading and propogating stolen materials, he has the choice. And stopping at a red light, I had the choice to keep going and risk arrest or injury.

Freedom, in this its most basic sense, seems rather constant in human history across space and time. The only way people have managed to truly limit freedom in this sense is imprisonment of others - and this has always been applied to a small minority, even in extreme cases where entire ethnic groups were rounded up and confined.

So if we sense we are in a state of decreasing freedom, clearly the freedom we are referring to is not this freedom of choice, ever so hard to truly limit. The freedoms now being slowly taken away must be subtler ones - indeed, these freedoms must consist of our choices not being affected unduly by outside considerations. I should be able to write what I want, when I want, where I want, without this choice being affected by fear of retribution. Imposing this fear is a subtle encroachment upon my freedom.

But perhaps the easiest way to limit one's freedom is to make one forget this freedom ever existed in the first place. After all, why put a man behind iron bars when you can just train him to stay indoors? If you can convince The People that they should not do what you do not wish them to do, you save a great deal of energy you would otherwise spend actually stopping them from doing it. If you can convince them that they cannot do this, cannot go there, all the better.

It is good to remember once in a while that we are fundamentally free. We may have fears imposed on us by unjust rulers. We may have to face choices no free person should be forced to face. We may have to take great care to preserve our freedom. But we are free nonetheless, and the choice is ours. Merely knowing we are free is half the battle.

Shit yeah.

[Reverend Loveshade]

St. Verbatim: It took me a while to get it up (where's my Viagra?), but I just posted "Knowing we are Free" on our site.  For those who don't know, Verbatim gave me permission.  It's at (WARNING: LINK COMING!) http://discordia.loveshade.org/xtra/wearefree.html

By the way, I don't know if this piece is copyrighted or not--please let me know so I can put the appropriate notice on the page.

As to the discussion here, careful, people.  If you have too many thoughtful, intelligent discussions like this (or at least most of this, which I loved reading, by the way), other people might get the idea you're more than just a single-minded group of hateful, loud nasty flamers.

[Nast]

other people might get the idea you're more than just a single-minded group of hateful, loud nasty flamers.

LOL WE ALREADY ARE!

[The Littlest Ubermensch]

As to the discussion here, careful, people.  If you have too many thoughtful, intelligent discussions like this (or at least most of this, which I loved reading, by the way), other people might get the idea you're more than just a single-minded group of hateful, loud nasty flamers.

You know Rev, you really come across like an insightful dude. We really don't take enough time around here to give you the credit you deserve.

So....oh, wow, I'm sorry if I'm a little awkward in asking this. I don't want to be too forward, but...

can I watch you, umm, well... jack off some time?

I mean, I'm totally cool with it if you don't want to, cuz it's kinda queer, but I really feel like it would be a real bonding experience. Really, I just can't get enough of seeing you bring yourself pleasure. It's a thing of beauty, and seeing someone of such intelligence and grace is truly it's own reward.



(and I'd feel like a douche if I didn't point out the obvious sarcasm there, lest you get the wrong idea. I wouldn't want to add to the "perving on 16 year old girls" whatnot without giving you a fair warning.)

[Requia ☣]

You know Rev, you're kinda ruining it for the parts of the forum that don't hate your guts.

[Reverend Loveshade]

You know Rev, you're kinda ruining it for the parts of the forum that don't hate your guts.

I didn't intend to.  I meant that as a quite sincere, if tongue in cheek compliment to those who contributed to what I found a fascinating discussion.

[Reverend Loveshade]

You know Rev, you really come across like an insightful dude. We really don't take enough time around here to give you the credit you deserve.

So....oh, wow, I'm sorry if I'm a little awkward in asking this. I don't want to be too forward, but...

can I watch you, umm, well... jack off some time?

I mean, I'm totally cool with it if you don't want to, cuz it's kinda queer, but I really feel like it would be a real bonding experience. Really, I just can't get enough of seeing you bring yourself pleasure. It's a thing of beauty, and seeing someone of such intelligence and grace is truly it's own reward....

Thank you for your kind words and your interest.  This is the type of inquiry I often receive on my own website, where I am the King of Everything and everybody loves and worships me.

Because I am asked this question so frequently, my agents have scheduled a showing.  If you are interested in attending a public performance, you can get tickets to "Reverend Loveshade's 537 Ways of Self-Pleasuring," which is scheduled to go on an international tour in spring of 2009.  Stops on our tour include Carnegie Hall in New York City, America; the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China; the Kyoto Kaikan in Kyoto, Japan; the National Theatre of Korea in Seoul, South Korea; and the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, France.  Tickets will be available exclusively through Ticket Master beginning August 23 of this year.

If you were hoping for free tickets, please submit 250 words on the topic, "Why I want to see Reverend Loveshade self-pleasuring."  Your entry will be entered in our contest with the winner announced on August 22.  There is no entry fee, but the winner does agree to pay all applicable taxes.

Thank you once again for your interest, and Have a Nice Day.

Yours Sincerely,

Reverend "tongue planted firmly in cheeky" Loveshade

[P3nT4gR4m]

Jesus fucking christ, you're still posting here? 

[BADGE OF HONOR]

Dear Loveshade

You are not, and never will be, funny.

Kill yourself.

Thanks in Advance,
RBoG

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Dear Loveshade

You are not, and never will be, funny.

Kill yourself.

Thanks in Advance,
RBoG

+1.

[Reverend Loveshade]

Dear Loveshade

You are not, and never will be, funny.

Kill yourself.

Thanks in Advance,
RBoG

You mean you thought that was supposed to be funny?

[The Littlest Ubermensch]

Dear Loveshade

You are not, and never will be, funny.

Kill yourself.

Thanks in Advance,
RBoG

You mean you thought that was supposed to be funny?

Oh wow, that's a pretty nifty little social experiment there.

[fomenter]

Is there a barbeque going on i didn't hear about?      I think i smell the assburgers burning

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Dear Loveshade

You are not, and never will be, funny.

Kill yourself.

Thanks in Advance,
RBoG

You mean you thought that was supposed to be funny?

It doesn't matter.