Freedom is an illusion

IT’S HUMAN Rights month and everybody is going on about “freedom”.

Next month, I will be 75 years old and I, and the rest of humankind, now have less freedom than we’ve ever had in our lives.

Just about everything in life is prescribed and controlled by either government bureaucracy, big business or minority groups with big mouths.

I don’t smoke and I don’t drink alcohol, but if I did I’d have no freedom to do so, legislation tells me where and when I’m allowed to do it. I can’t drive my car without wearing a seatbelt, ride a motorcycle without a crash helmet, park without paying through the nose. I am forced to buy groceries pre-packed in quantities determined by the manufacturers and now I can’t even relax for two hours in a hot bath to calm my shattered nerves.

I can’t take walks with my family for fear of being mugged, I have to live behind burglar bars and security gates and if I drive I have to dodge rocks, bottles and burning tyres. I have to be careful what I say, heaven forbid I should call somebody shortie, fattie, or four-eyes. I can’t even compliment women for fear of being accused of sexual harassment and I even have to be careful when writing to the newspapers (you notice I wrote “humankind” instead of “mankind” – political correctness). I get unsolicited messages on my cellphone sometimes at 2 o’clock in the morning.

I have to watch advertisements for products that were unmentionable when I was younger and probably worst of all I’m subjected to politicians spouting total nonsense (I’ll probably be arrested for saying that too).

In short, every area of our lives is controlled and manipulated by power blocs. So don’t talk to me about “freedom” if it wasn’t so tragic it would be a joke.