[MD] Limits of freedom: a lesson on moral misunderstanding

[Platt Holden]

Hi Marsha, 

> At 06:58 AM 7/22/2007, you wrote:
> >Quoting MarshaV <marshalz at charter.net>:
> >
> > > At 05:29 PM 7/21/2007, Platt wrote:
> > >
> > > >No. The citizens of communist China have limited freedom compared to
> > > >citizens of the U.K.
> > >
> > > Platt,
> > >
> > > How do you know this?  Are you a citizen of communist China?  Have you
> > > even been to China?
> >
> >Hi Marsha,
> >
> >No, I am not a citizen of communist China and I have never been there. But
> >I have read about citizens of China being arrested for criticizing their
> >government. They do not enjoy the protections of free speech that citizens
> >of the U.S. and U.K enjoy. Do you have reason to doubt this?
> 
> Platt,
> 
> How do you know this?

See for example:

http://www.cpj.org/protests/01ltrs/China18sep01pl.html

Do you doubt this?


>  Have you spoken to many Chinese 
> citizens?  Have you read any books about China?

No and no. 

 Are you talking 
> about China today, or China 10 years ago?

China in the last 10 years up to today.

> May U.S. citizen say 
> ANYTHING they please?

Without being prosecuted and thrown in jail? Yes. On college campuses,
no. On TV and radio, no. In print, yes. 

>  Are there no restraints? 

Yes, but not for criticizing the government.

> May a young boy hold up a
> sign stating BONG HITS 4 JESUS?  Free speech??? 

Children are restrained more than adults, for obvious reasons. 

>  If you were a
> Arab-American could you say ANYTHING? 

What do you have in mind?

> Your opinions are too general to be
> meaningful.

How so?

 If you want to peacefully protest a WTO meeting, can you be
> sure the police won't shoot tear-gas at you?

What's a WTO?

> May there be static filters that distort YOUR evaluation, since your 
> understanding doesn't seem to be based on actual experience?

Sure, everyone has static filters. Don't you? I understand a lot about the 
Revolutionary War even though I didn't actually experience it. Are you 
suggesting understanding can only come from actual experience? 

> Where 
> have your opinions come from?

Like yours, a variety of sources, too numerous to mention. 

Originally you wrote of 'freedom', 
> not 'freedom of speech'.

Right. But the original subject was "Limits of freedom." That would include
speech wouldn't it?

> > > What is your definition of freedom?
> >
> >Restraint from power of another.
> 
> Who has such restraints from power of another?

The U.S. Bill of Rights guarantees restraints from government power. Then
their a numerous laws restraining power of another, like laws against rape
for example.

>The definition of 
> freedom is as Gav wrote, 'to be in the present is to be free of the 
> ego'.  Freedom is the dynamic now, not socialized static 
> opinion.   ARE YOU FREE?
 
Talk about generalities. :-) But, it seems you and Gav have some static 
opinions, too. But, I could be wrong.

Platt