John What you're describing seems to generally be a sign of the times we're all living in. No doubt, over the past few decades we've lost the freedom we enjoyed.
I speak to persons in Sweden. They're afraid and don't feel free. Russians, same thing. Holland, same thing. Most countries, same thing. It's a mess all right. However, there are countries where relatively speaking, citizens and visitors have a positive sense of freedom. For example, the Republic of Georgia. Affordable, open to visitors, and nobody really bothers you. The government don't get in the face of Europeans or Americans or a number of other countries. Today, I'd say it's the most-free country in the world. I may be wrong, but it has a great visitor reputation. On Fri, Dec 12, 2025 at 3:36 PM John Rose via AGI <[email protected]> wrote: > On Friday, December 12, 2025, at 12:19 AM, Quan Tesla wrote: > > You're already free, but you don't even know it. Your prison must > therefore be your own mind. What have you done with so much freedom? Bought > the very gadgets as lifestyle you now lament? Could be, you're dissatisifed > because you've had it all for far too long. Do you really desire the > opposite of what you've had a lifetime to enjoy and benefit from? > > For hundreds of years, all the "moral" citizens enjoyed the benefits of > their lifestyles, morality intact. Only those who did the killing carried > the scars, but the greater majority benefitted. This is a historical > pattern for this civilization. The empire now wants control of its > citizens. Many have become anti-imperial. If your empire lost the battle > for its own existence within, it would lose it without. > > > Just in your mind? People are literally herded sheep. When I was younger, > I’m 60, we would test something called free-walking. Pick out a target a > few miles away in a suburban area, and walk straight there. Go through > fences, yards, businesses, etc. See what happens, greet and negotiate. You > could usually get there. Now? It’s rare. You’ll be attacked, shot-at, > robbed, arrested as a threat with hundreds of cameras and alarms notifying > authorities so they can literally send SWAT teams and helicopters. The > schools? They’re like prisons, physical and mental. Sneak out and they come > hunting you down, parents get cited, investigated, charged. There's AI > monitoring for deviant units who get diagnosed, counseled, registered and > drugged which many are. Unauthorized, unsupervised and undocumented sports > are strictly prohibited. Gatherings? Everyone is hiding afraid to get sued. > Unregistered, uninsured, non-conformist gatherings you’ll be summoned or > arrested. I could go on and on. Everything is locked down, mind, body as > long as you stay within the space that you’re dictated to be in at > particular times with proper authorization and behavior following written > laws and guidelines while paying designated fees with monitoring and > insurance after passing pre-crime analysis. “It’s for your safety.” Slips > away generation by generation unless people who know what it used to be > like or should be like, do something, and there are… but many will say it’s > all fine or deny it. Conformists, control freaks and sheep love it. If you > resist you become the target, drop out you’re the disease, unhappy you’re > the problem. I survive and thrive, I’m just describing reality and outcomes > while taking action for many who don’t have the energy, willpower, > stayingpower, capability or cajones. > > *Artificial General Intelligence List <https://agi.topicbox.com/latest>* > / AGI / see discussions <https://agi.topicbox.com/groups/agi> + > participants <https://agi.topicbox.com/groups/agi/members> + > delivery options <https://agi.topicbox.com/groups/agi/subscription> > Permalink > <https://agi.topicbox.com/groups/agi/T7ff992c51cca9e36-Mba37f82a30706c239955f880> > ------------------------------------------ Artificial General Intelligence List: AGI Permalink: https://agi.topicbox.com/groups/agi/T7ff992c51cca9e36-M1cf3706cf3533ad2955696b3 Delivery options: https://agi.topicbox.com/groups/agi/subscription
