Freedom now means cutting through the layers of ideology and advertising that make us uncomfortable, but we can’t cut through to a solid ground outside us that is TRUTH because despite our half believing it, it doesn’t exist. But we can cut through to pieces of ideology and belief that make us feel ok about living, about being alive. Always tricky, always requiring vigilance and discernment. But better than just going along the encrusted road to nowhere.

To stretch yourself try

Yuja Wang Shostakovich 1st Piano Concerto

and for hard reading

https://socialecologies.wordpress.com

To cope with the human condition now requires of us  much more education in the interstices of the normal disciplines (which fail us).

My interest in freedom is deep. The current uses are so varied. I was a student of Erich Fromm, Escape from Freedom. Terrific book, very widely read. Can there be something like it now? There are two problems: he deals with right authoritarian tendencies but not left (he came out of the Frankfort School and its humanistic marxism), and he has a critique of existing societies but his vision of a free society is abstract and timeless.

Breaking through is very hard work. Consider this simple diagram (needing words because I am not taking the time to draw it better).

On the Left is Paradise !, Basically the Garden of Eden, but it could be just a green more natural world. On the right is paradise 2, our current world desire. It is us, also with a mate, lying down instead of walking, and we can imagine them with a cell phone or iPad. But instead of nature we have what we consider essentials: V, bath and shower, sink and running water, computer  stove, refrigerator and car. We believe these are essential, but along with that belief comes the belief in the system that provides them.   see why we have a lot of work to do?