“However, while the soma brings peace, it strips its users of freedom, rational thought, and individuality altogether” (p 351)
This particular quote from today’s reading got me thinking about the TSA airport body scanning and invasive pat-downs. I’ve read articles and watched YouTube videos where children, babies, grandparents, and breast cancer survivors are humiliated in front of the other lucky travelers and there’s always someone interviewed in the article who says that they don’t have a problem with it because it makes them feel safer. When I read or hear people saying that, my brain wants to explode at the stupidity. This is related to the “those that ignore the lessons of the past are doomed to repeat them” quote because it was present in the minds of those who wrote the constitution. Thomas Jefferson says “Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.” I understand the importance of protecting vulnerable points but there are an infinite number of things that need protected and applying that invasive strategy to everything will lead to the type of police state that wipes out democracy.
Excellent post, David. You have, I think, found a perfect example of the way in which we not only have not learned from the past, but the way we close our eyes to consequences of losing our freedoms. "Thomas Jefferson says 'Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.'" When, if ever, will we learn???
ReplyDeleteGreat connection! I agree that consequences of some actions are obscured. In this case, we are losing our freedom, since our government feels insecure about airport security. At the same time, I also think that the body scans do not improve security. A few months ago they found an ink cartridge bomb in a plane, and this bomb was not attached to a body. Makes you wonder if the government knows what to look for....
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