Vivat Libertas

I've probably done this post before, but I'll do it again - this time with a different angle. I like to question things. This is not news; it's the way I function. I have asked questions for as long as I can remember. Whenever I see something that I don't understand or that doesn't make sense to me, I ask questions about it. So far, so very Osnat-like. But this isn't purely about me; it can't be. I'm not the only thing in the universe - obviously. No, this is what happens when disillusionment, inflexibility and doubt all collide. I don't really go in for idols or role models; I don't have giant posters of Einstein or Gandhi up on my wall. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to say that I don't look up to anyone, because I'm do. I'm young, I'm not confident, and I don't really know what I'm doing - I'm figuring it out as I go along. And thus I seek out strength - I see people who seem to be pretty influential and I li...

As foretold, I have been on a bit of a hiatus due to school and, more importantly, our impending House Music - which we're going to flop, but at least Part Song will be fun. Anyway, we had a chapel service as per usual. In the chapel service two drama students performed a "play" (read: thinly veiled piece of religious propaganda). Now, I've performed thinly veiled pieces of religious propaganda before. It's strangely fun if you throw yourself into the part and ham it up. However, my piece was actually well-written (poor drama students, you are lovely people and you're only doing the best you could with such an awfully written script), and, more to the point, it didn't make my blood boil with its assertion of Christian misconception about what atheism actually means. I realise I've probably pissed off a lot of theists with my misconceptions about what theism actually means. I'm not proud of that. I do genuinely want to communicate...it just gets...

I don't think my liberal credentials are in any doubt. I do, however, devote far too much time and energy to criticising my own side. I find this problematic for three reasons: 1) I really shouldn't feel the need to criticise them in the first place 2) It makes it very easy for other people to accuse me of Not Being A True Liberal 3) I should be focusing on rebutting conservative viewpoints rather than liberal ones Putting all that aside, I'd like to focus on why  exactly I chose liberalism - and then try and apply that to why I keep criticising other liberals. If I'm absolutely honest with myself, I chose liberalism because I love freedom. I love freedom because of an emotional response to my lack of freedom - that's right, an emotional  response, not based on logic at all. Since then I've been looking at everything from an unashamedly liberal and egalitarian viewpoint, based purely on my emotional responses to oppression and inequality, and a distinct ...

The Activists now has its own tag. It's about time I got round to it. Those of you who followed the blog (hi, Mum) probably know about my affair with it, from my initial starry-eyed swooning over its tweets  to my growing doubts, then my cooling towards it...and finally our split. This article was the last straw. I'll wait while you read it - or attempt to. It's very short. As well you know , doubt is a central part of my being . I cannot go a day, an hour, a minute without thinking and doubting and reflecting on things...and, if you'll pardon my language, I'm bloody proud of it. I'm bloody proud of having to think to justify my beliefs, of having enough intellectual fibre not to take things at face value. Here is what the article says about doubt: " Those who doubt the revolution are liars, deceivers, charlatans. Those who doubt the revolution are nothing more than addicts to comforts and material indulgences. " I have a damn  good reaso...

Right. So, as I've mentioned before, The Activists is awesome, and they run an equally awesome blog which is apparently contributed to by awesome people. However, some of the articles are...not so awesome, like this one . Go on, read it - it's very short. (If you can't be bothered to read it, it's a rant against powerful people.) Anyway, I have some questions for Adam Haddad and anyone who thought to pass this article. You are intelligent people - think about my questions, really think about them, and answer me honestly. Isn't not being weak part  of being powerful? Didn't many politicians start off wanting to help people? You'll take power after your revolution - at the very least, you'll have to take the helm during a transitional period or risk chaos. Won't you also become dogs, or is the rule magically waived for you? Is there not a part of every person, strong or weak, young or old, slave or free, who loves power? Is power not ad...