Quote Originally Posted by Weezard
He is "allowed" to choose, that "allows" himself to choose.
Or, more simply.Most non-physical limits are self-imposed.

So self determination is just NOT a yupnup.
though i have to agree that choice cannot really be denied by anything other than the self, the system under which we live will effect our tendency toward self-determination and direct the path our society follows. a restrictive environment that denies the importance of the individual breeds a people whose imagination is stunted and who will be more prone to follow the will of others. those living under a system that cherishes individual accomplishment above the actions of the herd are more likely to strike off in different directions and expand the pool of common knowledge and experience. one glorifies stagnation, the other growth.

There are as many degrees of "freedom" as there are definitions.
can a man in shackles be free? some would say it's entirely possible, but it's a difficult proposition. a man beaten long enough may begin to enjoy the pain and even to find a sort of freedom in his abuse, that doesn't mean he can find his full potential in such misery.

Though I do recommend more love.
love, kindness, empathy, charity. none of these are really affected by the tawdry world of politics, but our tendency toward them is. without the outward freedom to express them as we see fit, they cease to have any true meaning.