Freedom and Independence

Yesterday America celebrated freedom and independence. Although our nation is not perfect and we face many challenges, we have freedoms, independence and a standard of living few people of the world enjoy.

In reflection of this day, I see a correlation between freedom and independence. The more independent you are, the more freedom you can enjoy. Conversely, the more dependent you are upon a person, group or institution, the less freedom you have.

Many self-employed persons and entrepreneurs cite freedom and flexibility as one of their great benefits. These people still have to sell products and take care of their customers if they want to be successful, but they typically have more freedom than most employees, who are told when to work and when they can take time off. Frequently, the more dependent a person becomes on their job, the more freedom they are willing to give up.

The same concept applies to our relationship with government. The more dependent we become on the government to provide for our needs, the less freedoms we will enjoy. I recall images in the late 1970's and early 1980's of people in former communist countries of Eastern European lining up every day for their ration of food. They had little freedom and were heavily dependent upon their government for their survival. It may not have been by choice, but their dependence came with a lack of freedom.

This is not a sweeping statement that all government is bad. It's just an observation that the more dependent we become on the government, the less freedom we will eventually enjoy.

What do you think about the relationship between freedom and independence?