Pg 277 – They Thought They Were Free
Freedom is nothing but the habit of choice. Now choice is remarkably wide in this life. Each day begins with the choice of tying one’s left or right shoelace first, and ends with the choice of observing or ignoring the providence of God. Pressure narrows choice forcibly. Under light pressure men sacrifice small choices lightly. But it is only under the greatest pressure that they sacrifice the greatest choices, because choice, and choice alone, informs them that they are men and not machines.

What is the concept of Pressure that the author Milton Mayer is referring to? Is it direct peer pressure that we are all most likely familiar with? Is it larger than that, say pressure from the society we live in? Is it the pressure of responsibility from our morals? What about political pressure which isn’t quite peer or societal? In context Milton Mayer was mainly referring to political and the societal that comes from politics, but expanded Pressure can include all these things: moral, societal and political and can be both detrimental and beneficial to individuals and societies.

So why does pressure limit our choices…

I recently read a book, called Death by Government by R.J. Rummel that is at times shocking, and at times mind-numbing in the horror it depicts.  I debated about whether or not to select out some of the violent excerpts but then I realized that this isn’t horror fiction that is just inappropriate and coming from some crazed imagination.  These things really happened.  To real people.  If it is too shocking or inappropriate to display in a public forum then the greater the need for it to be known because these things happened.  To real people.

Pg 277 – They Thought They Were Free
Freedom is nothing but the habit of choice.

Habit – Noun:
A settled or regular tendency or practice, esp. one that is hard to give up.

Is freedom a “regular practice” and one that is “hard to give up”?  Boy, that is an excellent question.  Not something I’ve really considered before until reading this quote and looking at the definition of the word Habit.  It’s true however.  Freedom, or the ability to follow your own will, is something that has to occur regularly otherwise it isn’t freedom; and the more you follow your will the harder it is to stop.  It isn’t addictive necessarily, but that your Will gets stronger and stronger, and thus less likely to desire to bend to someone else’s imposed will.

If you are religious, you will probably balk a bit at the idea of “following our will”.  But please keep in mind, when we choose to follow Christ, we aren’t going against our will.  We are choosing to align our will with His.  So that His preferred choice, is our preferred choice.

However, let’s continue the above quote as the author has more to say on the matter.

I’d like to share a post with you this morning.  It is the prepared remarks by Robert Wenzel of the Economic Policy Journal for a speech given at the NY Federal Reserve building.  His speech title is also my post title: Leave the Building!  Below I’ve pulled some of his quotable quotes as is my habit.

Intellectual discourse is, of course, extraordinarily valuable in reaching truth.

Hear! Hear!

Pg 305
Freedom is risky business; when I let my little boy cross the street alone for the first time I am letting him risk his life, but unless I do he will grow up unable to cross the street alone.

Freedom IS a risky business. Freedom means you are liable for your actions.   Not someone else.  Freedom means that you WILL suffer the consequences for your actions.  Not someone else.  Freedom is the system that most encourages our hearts and minds to grow beyond their bounds.

Pg 305
When the Americans decided that they could not “afford” freedom for the Germans, they were deciding that Hitler was right