Joseph Samara

CMST 2060 18
5/21/16

Repeat After Me: I Am Free

Many people believe that they have the power of choice, in other words: free will,
yet they do not acknowledge that were living in a world where free will is nothing but a
mere idea, which society punishes those pursuing it. People throughout the world behave
accordingly to the cultural standards each nation has, yet some do not accept the other
cultures around them. Throughout this speech I will address how the government is not
what you think, how you are given the false belief of freedom, and what you can do to
start living your life as people were meant to do.

Democracy does not guarantee equality of conditions - it only guarantees

equality of opportunity, Irving Kristol. There are six different types of government
currently practiced around the world according to the Alverno College in Wisconsin:
Democracy, Aristocracy, Republic, Monarchy, Dictatorship, and Democratic Republic.
An Aristocracy is defined as being ruled only by wealthy, educated individuals.
Democracy, which is a main type of government, comes from the Greek demos
meaning people, and kratos meaning power, which is literally interpreted as power of
the people. Even though their definitions are vaguely practiced, a country defines itself
by using them. Though this so-called democracy is practiced within the United States,
why are there some decisions that are only made by the government, without consent of
its people? The answer would be a lying in a piece of paper signed in May 14, 1787
entitled The Constitution of the United States of America. Article 1, Section 2 of the

Joseph Samara
CMST 2060 18
5/21/16
Constitution entitles the President to arrange treaties, declare war, appoint congress
officers, and fulfill empty spots in the senate, though the actions cannot be approved
unless two-thirds of the senate votes in favor. In other words, the people vote to choose
someone to sit in the confortable chair. According to the Constitution, to be president you
must fulfill these requirements: to be 35 years of age or older, and to be born within the
United States territories. If these are the only two requirements, why isnt everyone
running for president? Well, you need to be known by the voters and this cant be
achieved without money, since you will need it to arrange campaigns and flood the
country with flyers with your name on it. So basically, in terms of definition, the United
States is not a democracy, but rather an Aristocracy. Irving Kristol was right with half of
this quote since there is no equality of opportunity in this democracy.

To continue, and as I said before, many people believe they are free, though they
do not realize the truth, that they are not free. The Merriam-Websters Dictionary defines
freedom as the quality or state of being free, to be not under the power of another, to have
the absence of a necessity, and to have unrestricted use of something, along with other
sub definitions. Now, knowing this, are you truly free? Unless you own your business,
you are not free. Unless you do not need money to achieve your desires, you are not free.
And unless you can wander through every door, you are not free. Corporations such as
banks, the government, and even Facebook, prevent your freedom. All of which can
harness your data and record every step you make. In plain English, they know more
about you than your family does. Take Facebook; for example, when you accept the
terms and conditions, you are giving Facebook the ownership of any information you

Joseph Samara
CMST 2060 18
5/21/16
input in their webpage, regardless if you delete your account later on. They keep track of
everything you do, your friends, pictures, and even pokes you make and receive. Now,
does this seem appropriate in a world demanding freedom and liberty? People all over the
world are fighting against the government and demanding their freedom. A recent event
occurred in Libya that was heard all over the world, the people of Libya, otherwise
known as the rebels, captured Muammar Gaddafi and fought for their liberty. This
powered a chain of events that could alter the world. Now, the people of Egypt and Syria
are celebrating for the Libyan success, and could possibly cause people from all over the
world to rebel against what is preventing their freedom. Do you want to live in a world
where people are to follow every rule, law, and order the minority of the population
gives?

Finally, I am to tell you what needs to be done to stop the overpowered people
and the society from preventing your freedom. In a movie entitled V for Vendetta, the
main character known as V, who fights for the peoples freedom and succeeds, uses a
mask of a person called Guy Fawkes who originally started the fight for freedom. Though
entertainment was not the only effect this movie had for the viewers. This mask has been
used by a group called Anonymous, created in 2003 that originated from a website called
4Chan, where users can post anything they desire and will be available to every 4Chan
user. The mask represents an idea and quoting V from the movie: Beneath this mask
there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea, and ideas are bulletproof.
With a basis on this quote, Anonymous has hacked websites of several companies and
business such as the Westboro Baptist Church, Child Porn websites, Government

Joseph Samara
CMST 2060 18
5/21/16
websites such as CIA, and Sony. They are doing what people believe cant be done,
giving us all a cause to rebel against society and empowering the cause for it everyday.
What can I do? you must be thinking. Go out and protest against the affairs of the
government and against the actions taken by the LSU Board of Directors you deem
inappropriate. If this is a democracy, then our words will count.

Ive talked to you about the governmental flaws in our democracy, about how
society puts effort into controlling your every move, and what actions are to be done to
prevent and stop this from happening. I encourage you to discuss this topic with your
friends and families and let them know what youve learned today. I will end this
prerogative by stating: "The power of a movement lies in the fact that it can indeed
change the habits of people. This change is not the result of force but of dedication, of
moral persuasion. " Steven Biko, (No year given).