THE ILLUSION OF BEING FREE

Here I am back from a visit in the Lao Popular Democratic Republic, a supposed freedomless communist state.
I came out alive, would you believe it? So are the communist not so bad?
Would you believe it?
Vientiane is a nice city, rather clean and quiet without tanks and armed forces around.
The visit in the countryside, in the villages of course did show me what I was expecting, lot of poverty but not so much different of what I have seen just days before in outskirts of Udon Thani, in the free and capitalist land of Thailand!

So what? Someone would tell me that at least in Thailand people are free while in Laos people they are under oppression, right?
Freedom?

Let’s have a look at both countries or, much better, at both systems.
Both they have a very rich and corrupted elite, while the grass-root people and the farmers suffer in poverty.
They have become so accustomed in being exploited and neglected that now they can accept anything just for the sake of being able to survive.

So what is the difference between those two countries which are representing apparently opposite systems?
Illusion is the only real difference.
In Thailand people live and still believe to be free, they have the illusion to be free like anyone in the so called “free liberal world” but it is just an illusion, of course.
Try to shout against “Them”, those who have the power, against those who control the economy, those who control everything such as the big multinationals… and then you tell me.
People are free until they do what “They” tell them to do.

At least in Laos people know when they are allowed to speak and when not!
They perfectly know where are the boundaries set by those who rules, they are not fooled by the illusion of being free.
In the so called “free world”, you never know when and how much you will pay, but be sure that if you do something against the wrong people, you will pay.
Freedom? Mind you, I have kindly been asked to abstain to express my opinion by a thai blog (http://www.thai-blog.com/) because of my political views, many were fearing the blacklisting of the blog.
Is this freedom? And this did not happen in Laos but Thailand.

In every country, in every nation and land you are free if you are rich and never if you are poor, if you are poor you just have to remain silent under those above you, being in a communist or capitalist country… not any difference.

But I do repeat, at least in Laos people are not living under any illusion. They may not be free and they know it, they know who is “Them” and what “They” want, they are perfectly aware of it. Instead the multitudes in the capitalistic countries are not even having such awareness, just they continue living in an illusion, the illusion of being free and they do not even know who are “Them”, who they have to fear!

Freedom? Yes, there seem to be some kind of curfew after 10 o’clock p.m. in Vientiane, not really a great thing but I wouldn’t really mind if the Thai government would do the same in Pattaya, or other places such some streets of Bangkok or Phuket.
This would surely limit people’s freedom but will surely prevent children prostitution, children exploitation and prevent hordes of western paedophiles being eternally on the prowl.
Vientiane was a good change in this respect. Limits on tourism would not be such a bad thing since tourism could bring some quick money but it really can harm and spoil a nation and its culture in the long run, and I do not have to look too far to have the proof of this.

So freedom is just an illusion, just a word.
The only way we could attain it is by freeing ourselves, from inside.
How? I do not know, is up to anyone of us, it is our personal path and search.
Someone may achieve it through meditation but there may be so many ways.
I do personally believe that starting from being detached from earthly and material matters could be a first step, we could start being free from the market laws and rules and this is the only way we can also hurt “Them”, where it only matters, their pockets and the dollar!
The first step to freedom is to stop being a customer and a consumer and to be a human being!
The second, in my humble opinion, is to get rid of fear, fear is paralyzing us from doing anything, from exploring life and from expressing ourselves and our opinions.
We are living in a world ruled by fear, “They” want us to live in fear in order to be always scared, docile and ready to follow the flock, never to ask questions and blindly believe in what “They” tell us.
This is happening in every kind of government or religion or organisation at any latitude.
Never question anything and be afraid of the consequences!
In the past slaves were having chains now the method is surely more subtle and kinder, but the final result is the same, we are not free as they were not free!

So what to chose between a red flag and the dollar?
There is surely a middle path in between and this middle path is just inside ourselves and it is where we only can find our freedom!

Peace, love and freedom!

I just would like to add one small last thing.
While wandering around Laotian cities and villages I was really surprised to see many young people and children.
I then thought that maybe, I repeat maybe, is not completely true that the communists are eating their children… or not?

Planet Earth, April 2nd , 2549

© - copyright Claudio Romano