Liberty / myLot

February 29, 2008 12:09am CST

I am getting sick of governmnts and lobby groups telling us how to live our lives and removing our freedoms. I am espcially sick of the anti smoking lobby and consider smokng bans to be a gross infringement of human rights. I also have great sympathy for people in the foxhunting fraternity whose whole way of life has been criminalised. Also I worry about ethnic groups like moslems being stopped from enjoying their own culture; whether it be wearing a burkha or halal meat. I consider groups like the animal rights lobby trying to stop women wearing furs, and anti abortion lobby trying to prevent a woman's right to choose, nothing but fascists trying to bully others. Did you know for example that the Nazis banned smoking in public and foxhunting too? They even banned the cooking of lobsters as cruel. So I never trust those who think they have a higher moral authority than others....the animal lover soon becomes the people hater. Live and let live I say. There are many many more freedoms around the world being threatened by such fascists; and even freedom of speech is under threat by the moral minority. The UK government has passed a law or invented or raised tax for nearly every day it has been in; and I for one am sick of it all. It's a nanny state and getting to be almost a big brother state with all the surveillance and ID cards on the horizon. Soon we will have to have permission to wipe our bottoms. So the question I would like to ask is....is it time for A Libertarian Movement to fight back? Are you not worried the freedoms you value may be next (eg driving a 4x4; drinking alcohol)? There is the beginnings of a Libertarian in the UK here: http://thefreesociety.org Is Liberty being destroyed?

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1 response

MorningDew

@MorningDew (833)

• Saudi Arabia

3 Mar 08

Hi Perry.. I think liberty and democracy don't exist and they became nothing but words our governments tell to move on with doing what they want to do... Where the hell is liberty when women cannot drive in Saudi Arabia, they drive all over the world but here... Plus so many things if a muslim woman is wearing a burkha/hijab she can't stay in a night club... where is freedom... So sorry to say it but it's everywhere.. we can barely breath with those rules... And I like your quote -live and let live- I actually believe in it and hate all kind of judgmental based on region, religion and gender... Nice topic friend...

freedom

Perry123

@Perry123 (363)

•

4 Mar 08

Thanks for the response Morning Dew. Saudia Arabia is an interesting topic.I have talked to senior Saudis a few years ago. They were concerned about the future. They said that they want to make Saudi more liberal specially for women but have to be careful how they do it. Fear of a fundamentlist backlash is in their minds. But things are changing. females in Saudi can now have a high class education and can for example become engineers and pilots. I remember reading the strange story of a female pilot who could not drive to the airport but could fly a plane when she got there! I think now females can stand for municipal election. So on the bright side at least Saudi, though it may seem illiberal, is changing gradually. Unfortunately this will be slow because if it is not the clerics will throw back the gradual reforms. It must be a very frustrating situation though especially for educated women. Western society on the other hand has enjoyed freedoms for a long time that are being removed. So you become very so slightly more libral we become more illiberal. Christian fundamentalism in the US also has a strong lobby and pressures for certain women's and gay rights to be removed. I believe that peopl should be free to practice whatever religion or political views they want....but it is a sad reality then that some such religions and political lobbies would then remove the rights of others; and they can gain politiccal influence . The animal rights lobby for example in the west wants the practice of halal banned. Without any justification in my opinion. It is pure racism. this same lobby has also bribed the UK govrnment with a million pounds to ban the centuries old tradition of foxhunting; something which in fact has had a great influence for conservation. Oh well one thing is I can never imagine Arab states banning hunting! Or smoking!

@MorningDew (833)

• Saudi Arabia

4 Mar 08

I agree with you hunting and smoking are not banned in the Arab world but it's a bit restricted... And I have something regarding women rights in Saudi Arabia.. you are absolutely right women now are very well educated they can now work and get the education they want.. Things are really changing here.. I came to Saudi Arabia in 2002 and it really changed in the past 2 years.. things are getting much better.. and hopefully it will keep getting better... Take care..