‘Liberty’ and ‘freedom’ are two very powerful and emotive words that rational left thinking people should hold very dear, yet we allow the right, and more often the extreme right to hijack them. In true Orwellian newspeak stylee they bandy them around to add weight to their arguments, and we allow them to wear them like they own them. I’m sure you know the type of people I mean. They are those that Monty Python (or was it I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again?) said droned on and on until they fell over backwards. They are inbreeds and their lackeys, and they oppose all change. They protested about the legalisation of homosexuality. They want to bring back hanging. They don’t believe in equal opportunities. They are usually racist. They want out of the European Union. They don’t want to pay taxes unless it’s for ‘defence’ or the police. They think blood sports are good clean fun, that health and safety is a joke, and that the law is there just to keep little people in their place.
They portray advances towards civilisation and democracy as attacks on personal liberty and the erosion of freedom. Their idea of freedom is the freedom to oppress and exploit others. They appear in various guises from Tory party member, to Daily Mail reader via UKIP and the BNP. They are the land-owners, the pro-hunting lobby and the anti smoking ban whingers. They believe that fat cat captains of industry should be paid obscene amounts, whilst at the same time suggesting that the pittance of a minimum wage is ruining business. They are reactionary knob-heads, and they are holding this country back. A plague on all their houses!
Of course in reality there is only one true freedom, and that is anarchy. A concept most of the liberty bodice brigade just couldn’t comprehend.
