What’s Wrong With Franklin Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms”

Freedom and liberty are over-used words in 2013 English. But what matters in the concepts they cover, what is worth applying in the real world of interaction between humans, is contained in the non-aggression principle.

I like that phrase for that reason. And that’s the one I’m sticking to.

You might call it the idea that “freedom from aggression” is the freedom worth striving toward. But there are two people involved in the non-spiritual aspects of freedom. Freedom for one person requires respect for that freedom from others.

Self-defense is the enforcement mechanism for it, the best, in fact. As a matter of even more fact, any other mechanism for enforcing respect for the other person’s freedoms is a violation of freedom. (Contracting with security professionals counts as self-protection. Having the proper equipment for self-defense also counts).

The words “freedom” and “liberty” are so abused and twisted by Orwellian state propaganda shills that I prefer the N.A.P. Use that as the best non-ambiguous definition of freedom I can work with.

Roosevelt spoke about his “four freedoms”: freedoms of speech and worship, and “freedom from want” and “freedom from fear“. It is a crime against intelligence and dumbing-down historical episode that the last two self-contradictory items in the list were not hooted down as invitations to tyranny. They are not natural rights at all.

The only “freedom from fear” you’re going to get is a Huxley one, chemically induced or psychotic. If he meant freedom from aggression that would be a right, but not at the cost of fiefdom, even if the figurative lords of the manor change every so often.

The “freedom from want” is the worst one. It is a the demand for a license to steal, to feed someone or to solve their “lack” by plundering the neighbors’ cattle, property, harvests, animals, and even wives. (After all, why should an ugly cripple “want” for sex?)

Related articles

• Freedom, Liberty, the Principle of Non-Aggression, what they mean in the context of groups (trutherator.wordpress.com)
• Freedom Matters (bakerju89.wordpress.com)
• The Non-Aggression Principle (isaacriera.com)
• The non-aggression principle: (trutherator.wordpress.com)
• Press Freedom Index 2011-2012: Syria, Bahrain and Yemen get worst ever rankings (nextlevelofnews.com)
• NFP sees an obstacle (fijitimes.com)
• There is Freedom (lifeasamissionary.wordpress.com)

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Tags: Franklin D Roosevelt, Freedom of the press, Natural and legal rights, Non-aggression principle, Orwellian, Political freedom, Right to an adequate standard of living, Roosevelt