Thanks, Maggie and Richard. Yes, I was lucky to find them. (Of course, as the author of “Hippies,” I’ve long had the 1967 photo from the Pentagon in my files 🙂 )
Hola Michael! Nice to see you again. Freedom in the global or absolute sense is indeed a tough nut to crack, but I believe it can be measured in local cases. E.g., were I in China, could I criticize Pres. Xi on my blog or in newspaper cartoons as openly as I criticize Trump here? Could I float balloons over Beijing of Xi as a crying baby in a diaper? Can I view all the same news and history websites on a daily basis? Can we choose our own candidates for government offices? Do we have a right to a fair trial by peers? I’m no China expert, but the questions in the abstract make sense in any case. If country x says yes to these questions and country y says no, country x has relatively more freedom. These aspects of freedom are measurable, and they are often the ones at stake in the student-driven protests such as those in my meme. Is this a global critique of China? No, I am fascinated with the rich cultural history there, and almost all the Chinese people I’ve met have a level of kindness and decency that suggests to me that maybe they have figured something out in terms of cultural values that the West still has to learn. But in terms of the political superstructure, I think the West has an advantage in measurable freedoms. Of course, we aren’t perfect either; hence, the 1967 meme 😊
shakemyheadhollow 
Powerful images.
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Thanks, Maggie and Richard. Yes, I was lucky to find them. (Of course, as the author of “Hippies,” I’ve long had the 1967 photo from the Pentagon in my files 🙂 )
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Freedom. What, exactly, is it?
The West isn’t free – or is it a relative condition?
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Hola Michael! Nice to see you again. Freedom in the global or absolute sense is indeed a tough nut to crack, but I believe it can be measured in local cases. E.g., were I in China, could I criticize Pres. Xi on my blog or in newspaper cartoons as openly as I criticize Trump here? Could I float balloons over Beijing of Xi as a crying baby in a diaper? Can I view all the same news and history websites on a daily basis? Can we choose our own candidates for government offices? Do we have a right to a fair trial by peers? I’m no China expert, but the questions in the abstract make sense in any case. If country x says yes to these questions and country y says no, country x has relatively more freedom. These aspects of freedom are measurable, and they are often the ones at stake in the student-driven protests such as those in my meme. Is this a global critique of China? No, I am fascinated with the rich cultural history there, and almost all the Chinese people I’ve met have a level of kindness and decency that suggests to me that maybe they have figured something out in terms of cultural values that the West still has to learn. But in terms of the political superstructure, I think the West has an advantage in measurable freedoms. Of course, we aren’t perfect either; hence, the 1967 meme 😊
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That’s exactly it. The universal just doesn’t apply anymore, it always has to be particularised. And – maybe – a good thing too.
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Gave a like, which did not register, and shared this on mine. Powerful message.
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Thanks, Swami. Good to see you. Gary
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Same here, Gary. All the Best. 🙂
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