Eliminating Freedom of Choice

ByBrian Phillips

Most people want the freedom to choose how they will live their lives. Yet, many of those same people advocate policies that eliminates freedom of choice for others. They support freedom of choice, so long as they agree with the choices. Sadly, we see this among both Republicans and Democrats.

Republicans don’t like the choices social media companies make regarding content. And so, they want to dictate how companies like Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube operate. Democrats don’t like the choices that energy companies and consumers make. And so, they seek to force us to abandon fossil fuels.

The result is a tug-of-war in which each side attempts to force others to do its bidding. It is gang warfare being conducted under the guise of democracy. The “will of the people,” we are regularly told, reigns supreme. The will of the individual—each individual—is irrelevant.

Those who want freedom of choice find themselves caught in the crossfire between these competing gangs. Sadly, many conclude that joining a gang is the best form of protection. But this only makes the problem worse. The solution to gang warfare won’t be found by making the gangs larger. The solution is to end gang warfare. The solution is to protect the freedom of each individual to live as he chooses, so long as he respects the freedom of others to do the same.

We will not always like or agree with the choices that others make. The test of our commitment to freedom of choice is found during such occasions. If we truly support freedom of choice, then we must defend the freedom of every individual. To do otherwise is to claim that our gang should be free to choose, but others should not enjoy the same freedom.

Rational individuals recognize and defend the freedom of others to express ideas with which we disagree. We must extend that same respect to the choices made by others.

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