PSEUDO-FREEDOM: Reflections on Post-Democracy When I support government policies and avoid controversy I seem "free" When I don't worry about injustice or upset hegemonies I appear to have liberty Yet if I question too much or threaten existing elites this mirage vanishes & the limits soon become crystal clear regarding how much I can do or speak If I persist any further punishments merely increase All people have their breaking points & Yes – I support the system! Yes – it's wonderful to be free! Frida: (Spitting on the sidewalk.) Isn't naive to expect significant freedom in a world with so many billions of people? Ning: (Pretending not to notice) Well, can any one person answer that question? Frida: (ignoring this Ning's comment) Freedom is a mirage – we are all slaves in some way or other. Ning: (Deciding to short-circuit the whole conversation.) I hear that the weather will be cloudy today. Dmiritri: (Attempting to rescue the conversation) Ah, yes – the weather! ===================================================================================== from Peace Pieces: Reflections on Violence and Conflict Resolution by T Newfields SUMMARY: Some thoughts about nominal freedom and social coercion KEYWORDS: political poetry, social conformity, pseudo-democracy, engineering social compliance Author: T Newfields [Nitta Hirou / Huáng Yuèwǔ] (b. 1955) Begun: 1998 in Táoyuán, Táiwān ⩝ Finished: 2018 in Yokohama, Japan Creative Commons License: Attribution. {{CC-BY-4.0}} Granted < LAST https://www.tnewfields.info/PeacePoems/indif.htm TOC https://www.tnewfields.info/PeacePoems/index.html NEXT > https://www.tnewfields.info/PeacePoems/post.htm Translations Chinese: https://www.tnewfields.info/zh/wei.htm German: https://www.tnewfields.info/de/pseudo.htm Japanese: https://www.tnewfields.info/jp/itsuwari.htm Spanish: https://www.tnewfields.info/es/seudo.htm