On fashions, Pfunzl and freedom

[Joywitch M. Curmudgeon]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Tabouli" <tabouli at u...> wrote:
> My controversial Chinese colleague Kaiyu had a lot to say about 
the "free" West, not much of it good (not that what he had to say 
about China was any better).  His argument sounded more convincing at 
the time that I can recount here, but I think it was something along 
the lines of the Chinese government controls the people by 
restricting individuals' freedom, the US media controls individuals 
by making them prisoners of their own freedom: they would never 
overthrow the government because they're so busy exercising their own 
individuality and civil rights that they would never unite against 
it.  Same net effect.  Divide and rule the individualist way... 
convince people that they *chose* what you want them to think and 
they're yours forever!
> 
> Phew.  Any thoughts on this diatribe? (we'll get that raging 
discussion happening yet, David, don't you fret)

Well, I've heard it said many times that Freedom of Choice in the 
U.S. means the right to choose between Coke and Pepsi.  In fact, I've 
even seen advertising based on this concept -- some margarine 
company, IIRC, had a series of billboards that said "Freedom of 
Choice -- only in America" with a picture of 2 of their products, 
both regular and low-fat margarine or something similar.

In my experience it is the sad but painful truth that Americans 
neither understand nor appreciate the freedoms they have.

--Joywitch