Politics and enjoying life in an unfree world
It says in the Declaration of Independence that we can pursue our life, liberty, and happiness. But in today’s climate, it’s as if politicians and other citizens are doing more to impose their values and wants on others — as if they are doing us a favor.
Take the current healthcare debate as an example. Republicans are intent on dismantling the Affordable Care Act. I would like to see it repealed in favor of market reforms. However, the Republicans (who tout themselves as for “small government”) are ironically trying to make things worse. This entire fight over healthcare is a good reason government shouldn’t be making these kinds of decisions. I’ve seen friends, who lauded the passing of ACA, now worry about what Republicans will do their healthcare. That kind of instability would make anyone nervous.
Another hot issue is transgender rights. Again, we have politicians trying to force their values on businesses and communities. As we’ve seen, many companies support LGBT rights with no government needing to tell them to be. On the flip side, North Carolina politicians wanted to do a one-fits-all solution banning transgendered people from using the bathroom of their choice regardless of individual business decisions.
A third example is the terrible idea of asset forfeiture which steals property and money from citizens even if they aren’t charged with a crime. This heinous act, which typically flies under the radar, is one issue I would suspect a clear majority of Americans would find egregious. In 2014, the Washington Post did an investigation that found $2.5 billion has been taken from people without a search warrant or any criminal charges since 9/11. The police and civilians are already at odds because of unnecessary human and animal deaths at the hands of police officers. Most recently, an Australian woman was shot and killed after she’d called police because of a possible sexual assault. This only adds to the frustration.
This is just a sampling. Looking at history, humanity has a habit of not leaving others to do their own things — freely and voluntarily — without worry of jail or death. Recently, I’ve become less enthused about watching and reading the news. I’d become cynical and stir-crazy as if confined by the political noise with every slight (big and small) against people’s right to liberty. Everything became political and made me angry at all the wrongs going on in this world.
It’s easy to get caught up in the turbulence. What I don’t want to do is lose my mind or stop enjoying my life.
One book that suits this purpose for getting one’s life back is “How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World” by Harry Browne. Written from a libertarian and individualistic perspective, Browne dishes advice on how to be as free as possible in a world that constantly wants to control us. Originally written in 1973, it’s clear that his advice proves timeless. In the chapter on the Utopia trap, Browne writes that it’s easy to get lost in the quest of improving society to the detriment of enjoying the life you have. When we see a social injustice, we may look for ways to undo it. However, writes Browne: “The desire to change social conditions is the desire to change or prevent the happiness-seeking methods of the individuals you don’t approve of.” For the most part, people’s good intentions are really just that — good intentions.
We think our methods of making a positive change are better than their methods. Someone thinks the same things about you. They think your methods are worse, in fact. Regardless of whether you get your way, there’s someone right around the corner hoping to undo what you just did (just like healthcare) and to mess it all up. Even more bluntly, Browne writes that no matter what, there will always be conflicts of interest looming everywhere, and we will always find ourselves on the defensive. Something will always upset or trigger us. It’s exhausting, and it is no way to live.
And it’s true, I dream of a much freer society without people sticking their noses in pockets and bedrooms. It is better to accept that people won’t stop being nosy. So, what do we do? The first step is to accept the chaotic world we live in. We cannot save the world, and there will probably never be true peace in our government and in our worlds. The second step is to live the best lives we can, focusing on those people, things, and experiences we need in our lives to enjoy living.
A dear friend of mine reminded me of this when he mentioned that if we really want to make an impact, we’ll help another individual who needs the help such as through volunteering. It’s less cumbersome to watch someone’s face light up than it is to change a law. While bigger problems can still be addressed, don’t forget to live your life and create individual change in the process.
