It has been said many times, by many people, that tough times don’t last, but tough people do. I offer a modified version of this idea, that tough times don’t last, but free nations do.
Someone is reading this and thinking, “Oh really now. Exactly what do you mean by ‘free,’ exactly?” I have a couple of different definitions for the word “free” in this case. One of them is from the Indian economist and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen.
No, Ascending Knowledge is not morphing into an economics blog
In his book Development as Freedom, Sen offered five interlocking measures of the freedom of a nation. One measure is political freedoms, such as freedom of speech. One measure is economic facilities, such as roads and sea ports. One measure is social opportunities, such as education or health care. One measure is transparency guarantees, such as common public knowledge of government spending. The final measure is protective security, such as protection from criminals or pirates.
This book was remarkable for claiming and supporting the idea that nations with democracy and a free press have virtually never suffered from extended famines. This book was remarkable for claiming and supporting the idea that freedom was both an end in itself, and the most direct route toward economic development. This book was remarkable for being a snappy comeback to The Population Bomb by Paul Ehrlich.
Tough times don’t last, but free nations do
The New Message from God has a definition for free nations. This definition of free nations comes from the book The Allies of Humanity, Volume 3. There are some similarities and some differences between these two definitions of free nations. I will add some commentary in brackets.
A free nation will want strong individuals. A nation that is not free will want compliant individuals.
[I’m seeing the bumper sticker “Politicians Prefer Unarmed Peasants” in my mind’s eye as I read this. Politicians prefer unarmed, uneducated, unspiritual peasants.]
A free nation will support individual creativity and contribution. A nation that is not free will direct each person according to the design that has been given to them.
A free nation will support the discovery and the experience of Knowledge. A nation that is not free will never mention it, if it is aware of it at all.
A free nation will seek to remain isolated in the universe and to support its self-sufficiency. A nation that is not free will seek whatever wealth and power it can gain from others and thus become intertwined with the intentions and the compromises wrought with other nations.
[The word “world” or “planet” could be substituted for “nation” in this context. If you wish to think of one of the nations on earth, the word “world” could be substituted for “universe.”]
A free nation will not attempt to gain access to other worlds to exploit their resources and to gain control over their inhabitants. A nation that is not free will do this within the boundaries of what is allowed within their region of space.
[A free nation will not attempt to gain access to other nations to exploit their resources and enslave their inhabitants. If I knew I could not fail, I would live in a free nation, as defined by these words. I would live in a free world.]
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