Is it possible to build a world where freedom is the prevailing value of a global society?

Question

This question has to do with the ideas that the "West" has about what should be the aim of promoting development in the Third World or so called "South".
(e.g. Development = Freedom, Amartya Sen )

Answer 1

To create a truly free world would be impossible - in order for any type of world to be created, there would have to be some sort of authority to ensure that one group did not prevent the freedom of another group. But by doing this, the first group's freedom to prevent the freedom of others would be prevented. Get it?!

Answer 2

"When there is freedom, there will be no state" - Lenin

To be honest I don't think that any society exists without innate slavery, whether this be to a ruler, the state or the enonomic situation. I cannot obtain food without money and thus I choose to become a servant to a company.
In this day and age the average person in Britain owns a lower proportion of the wealth of the nation and works longer hours and more days per year than a feudal serf did. So although I have more and better things than a serf the serf still was PROPORTIONATLY wealthier than me. (True this is because rich people are exponentially richer than ever before but it does make an interesting statistic).

“The country was founded on the principle that the primary role of government is to protect property from the majority, and so it remains.” - Noam Chomsky

I would say that freedom cannot be a prevailing value unless it is defined and as such becomes restrictive. For example should I have the freedomto rape monkeys to death?

"I need freedom to be happy". - Johnny Weissmuller

Given the nature of the world's infrastructure and morality one could only achive freedom by reworking everything from scatch and reallocating new lands to cultures and populations and major redistribution of natural and skill resources. In essence you would have to we-work everything from scratch and probably reduce the world population by 80-90% for a century or two while these changes were being made.

"Men are never really willing to die except for the sake of freedom: therefore they do not believe in dying completely." - Albert Camus

Answer 3

Freedom as a concept is not that simple, there are many kinds of freedom. In the instance of a global society which is free then we would look specifically at freedom from oppression. The routes to achieve this concept are varied. In the case of France they overthrew a long standing monarchy by violent revolution. In the case of the Soviet Union the communists could no longer control the populace due to the rising strain associated with the cost of the cold war, and were forced to institute changes in structure. We are seeing freedom slowly evolve in China as they become a greater economic power. No 2 countries will arrive at the gateway to freedom the same way, but free nations around the world must always stand ready to assist those who strive for it. Even in the case of the United States we did not win our freedom alone, had it not been for the support of French troops and funding we would have lost the revolutionary war. Education is best tool for engendering freedom, but free nations must also be ready to stand in defense of those who desire freedom all around the world. We must be ready to assist and defend in their struggles to throw off the shackles of oppression, to do anything less means we are hypocrits.

Answer 4

I may be misunderstanding you, but I believe that is what the United States is built on. I believe that was the burning issue in the minds of our founding fathers. I don't know if their attempt was completely successful, but I believe we have come closer to that goal than any other country in the world. Perhaps building a whole world with freedom as the prevailing value would be possible using their guidelines with perhaps a tweek here and there.

Answer 5

regardless to how much freedom you have or are given there will always be rules with in that freedom .
even though we have freedom of religion , in a court of law sometimes we do not . example would be a custody case , there is always the chance of the judge being biased because they have no true understanding of that religion .
i use religion because that is a hot debate alot of the time . so you are free to worship how you choose , until faced with a court battle .
also homosexuals . they have freedoms , they are criticised about being whimsical with sexual acts people assuming they have sex with everyone and anyone . they are fighting so hard to be capable of marrying their partners , but this is not a feedom they have in most states .
the thought of complete freedom is a great concept , however that would create an anarchy , at which point would cause chaos , and probably more crimes . why more ? because if you are free to do as you please because freedom allows you to , then crimes one commits can just be their way of expressing their freedom

Answer 6

Yes and it is called Anarchy. If you define freedom like the Liberials do then it means anything and everything is acceptable.

How about freedom of anyone to marry anyone? This would include not only same-sex marriage but also marriage at any age, brother and sister marriages, more than two people being married to each other.. well you get the idea.

Answer 7

Yes, through an international workers party.

Answer 8

i guess there is too much of freedom in this modern world.

Answer 9

YES - just not the way the Neocons envision it

Answer 10

Only with slave labor