The Interview

Format....
Q: Questioner's question or statement
Answer


Q: What is your main aim?

My main aim is to improve the world and the people in it. I plan to do this by one, satisfying my needs, and by doing that I can focus on everyone else much better.


Q: Do you ever get greedy?

Of course! It is hard to not focus on just myself. However, I have to. It is part of my lifestyle. It’s like the saying, “it comes with the job”.


Q: And what exactly is your job?

Well. My job is to make everything greater than it is at present. I strive to welcome everyone into a new world, and make sure everything goes as planned.


Q: And what exactly is the plan?

Well, it changes from time to time. You know, the world changes and sometimes plans don’t always work out. However, I think I have some great methods of making sure it works out most of the time.
Overall, the plan is to limit negative freedom and promote positive freedom. I do this by displaying my personal beliefs, and setting structure in the friends I make and those I am responsible with. I also do this with my family, and even within my own personal life.


Q: Isn’t that kind of difficult to do?

Of course. Negative freedoms though include the choice to go against the structure. It is a necessary restriction and it would be detrimental if it did not exist. This is something that is hard to set in place for myself. I create the structure and foundations so I can easily disregard them. It takes personal commitment. I don’t want everyone else to have to fight with themselves regarding whether they want the structure or not.

So I implement the structure and make it hard to resist, in any form. Even by thought.


Q: So how is there positive freedom?

Well, if you aren’t fighting the necessary restrictions then you can really do whatever you want.


Q: And what are some of those positive freedoms that you try to promote?

Well they are implemented and well received by people. You see, there are consequences to negative actions. So most people follow those rules.
To answer your question though, a positive freedom is the choice of what you want to eat that day. Or where you want to drive to.


Q: Okay. So now it’s time for me to guess who you are.

Go ahead then.


Q: Are you a therapist, or someone in a related profession?

No I am not.


Q: Are you a police officer?

No I am not.


Q: But you seem to deal with setting restrictions, limiting freedoms of those who do not follow rules. I’m not really sure who you may be.

That’s fine. Well, I can tell you then.


Q: Okay, thank you!

I am POTUS.


Q: Which one?

I’m not just one. I am POTUS, the idea of it, and I am the representation of every President of the United States that has ever existed.


Q: So are you Obama? Bush?

You don’t get it. I am both Obama and Bush. I am Washington and Lincoln. I am Kennedy, Clinton, and the next 25 presidents too!


Q: I get it now. So you are saying that as POTUS, you represent power and control over the people?

Well of course. All in moderation, and many things change over time. I am doing it for the wellbeing of the country though.


Q: Hmm. It seems a bit like a dictatorship.

Well the people don’t see it that way. They see how it is necessary for me to control them and make sure that they do not just do whatever they want. That’s how people get killed and people lose a sense of happiness.


Q: So. Are you worried about going too far?

I only go as far as I need to go. From the beginning of this country, and Washington, the security measures have increased, and control has dominated more and more. It all comes down to what the people need.


Q: And you decide what the people need?

Of course. I am POTUS. They have voted for me. They trust me and know that it is for the better good. There is obviously a need for the people to advocate for themselves. However, when it comes down to it, sometimes intervention is needed.


Q: Can you explain that?
Sure. If a criminal is put into prison for a crime, he most likely will attempt to make his or her life easier. They may advocate for less restrictions, or privileges or getting out early.


Q: I’m not following...

The people have restrictions in place. Sometimes they WILL doubt whether the security measures are worth it, or there for the right reasons. Yet it is my job as POTUS to make sure that I listen to the people, but at the same time filter through their requests that simply ask for too much.
I would not give a murderer weekends off from prison because he feels he has earned it, or wants to show that he can function in society.
You don’t give a prisoner a knife because he wants to carve a sculpture.

With the people, you can’t just give them something because they think they have good reasoning. As POTUS, I must prevent letting the people wander too far from my implemented safety nets as eventually they will make the wrong choices.


Q: So...what you’re saying is: Restrictions are necessary on everyone even if they have not showed any signs of negative behavior or using their freedom negatively? And you do this because you don’t think they could handle a life without so many limitations?

Exactly.


Q: Thank you for speaking with me...POTUS.

No problem. By the way. You can’t actually release this interview.


Q: Why not?

Well, some people may use it as an excuse to go against the restrictions they actually accept!


Q: Right.

If it’s possible for someone to work against these necessities in America, then there must be a restriction to make that chance turn into an impossible scenario.

reply to post by Ghostx


Sounds familiar. It also sounds like a potentially extreme slippery slope, which is one of the main problems of any supposed leader.

One moment you're simply helping a person (Friend, group or entire populace) who is largely unaware of what you're doing to them, with a specific issue(s). The next thing you know you could be controlling and invading their entire life, stealing their autonomy, from their perspective, if they were to become aware.

Originally posted by Soloro
reply to post by Ghostx

 

Sounds familiar. It also sounds fairly oppressive if you ask me, an extreme slippery slope.

One moment you're simply helping a person (Friend) who is largely unaware of what you're doing to them, with a specific problem. The next thing you know you could be controlling and invading their entire life, stealing their autonomy.

Sounds like a potentially very bad idea.

edit on 3-10-2012 by Soloro because: (no reason given)

I'm a bit confused what you're getting at. This is a fictional interview between a random person and POTUS (which stands for President of the United States).
It is an attempt at portraying the common theme of presidents (and various other leaders) wanting to control the people "for the better good" and not ALWAYS giving us freedom, protecting our rights, or giving us a well-heard voice.

This isn't a proposition for a successful plan. It displays a flawed philosophy that many presidents hold. And is represented by POTUS, the tag name for every President in the White House (well maybe not Washington, but in this story we use it like that).

Originally posted by Ghostx

Originally posted by Soloro
reply to post by Ghostx

 

Sounds familiar. It also sounds fairly oppressive if you ask me, an extreme slippery slope.

One moment you're simply helping a person (Friend) who is largely unaware of what you're doing to them, with a specific problem. The next thing you know you could be controlling and invading their entire life, stealing their autonomy.

Sounds like a potentially very bad idea.

edit on 3-10-2012 by Soloro because: (no reason given)

I'm a bit confused what you're getting at. This is a fictional interview between a random person and POTUS (which stands for President of the United States).
It is an attempt at portraying the common theme of presidents (and various other leaders) wanting to control the people "for the better good" and not ALWAYS giving us freedom, protecting our rights, or giving us a well-heard voice.

This isn't a proposition for a successful plan. It displays a flawed philosophy that many presidents hold. And is represented by POTUS, the tag name for every President in the White House (well maybe not Washington, but in this story we use it like that).

I see. Well received, and I agree, you bring up good points about the dilemma that can arise in any situation where a person is a "leader", whether appointed by a democratic process, or self-appointed by some sense of ownership/responsibility.

Thank you I am glad we are on the same page then.
Hmm. I'm not sure what I want to write.

Something not political for sure haha.