REAL Freedom: The Easy Rider Freedom Speech

You know, this used to be a hell of a good country...


A lot of people in America talk about "freedom." The word "liberty" is on out currency and national monuments, and freedom is invoked everywhere as a motive for doing things ranging from cutting taxes to going to war.

But what is real freedom? I think this short clip from the movie Easy Rider pretty much nails it. Now, you might dismiss Jack Nicholson and Dennis Hopper here as just stupid old "hippies" but don't let your ideological blinkers get in the way of the truth. I'm generally a guy that leans more to the right than the left, and I think these two smelly hippies put their fingers on the heart of the matter. And what they have to say is, if anything, more relevant now than it was over 45 years ago when the film first came out.

Want real freedom? You got to get outside your comfort zone first. Take 2 minutes to watch the clip. And then ask yourself: Are you really free? Are any of us? And what should we be doing about it.

Freedom is so difficult in this day and age because of money.

Money in itself does not represent or imply slavery, but the manner of which we use money today certainly implies slavery.

It is as hard to be free today, as it is to reject money.
Everyone wants to buy things, all of these new creations out in the market today are in many cases awesome and excellent forms of entertainment or state of the art tools etc.

How hard would it be for someone to reject those material possessions and even though they could enslave themselves to have all of these great things easily, they still choose not to comply with the system?

I guess some sort of Biblical reference fits this best.

Matthew 19:24
"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

That's how easy it is to be free.
It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for people to reject their worldly possessions that are effectively the chains which bind them mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

By the way, the eye of the needle in this reference is a small passageway inside a cities walls for use during the night when the large gates were closed to prevent bandits etc from rushing in.

I can't believe this thread didn't take off, the clip you presented was top notch in my opinion. It makes a very strong point that I realize is highly accurate in it's estimations.

I even showed it to my wife because I was so impressed with it.
And I totally didn't realize that was Jack N, blew me away. I only recognize his "older" self sadly...

Anyhow, I think this clip is worth sharing.
The points made apply to many issues and can be relevant in just about any society throughout history.

Don't think I will let this thread die off just yet.