Escaping the Time: Where Would You Seek Freedom and Luxury?
Throughout life, every individual often wonders about alternate time periods they could escape to, a place where they could enjoy the same rights and luxuries they currently experience. However, is it truly better to seek solace in the past, knowing that the future might offer even more freedom and prosperity?
The Future as a Dystopian Hell
While it might be tempting to retreat to the past, the future looms with uncertainties that could surpass the comfort and freedom enjoyed today. Indeed, some might find the current era oppressive, but in comparison, the future could be a living nightmare. Technological advancements could accompany systemic and societal issues that erode individual rights and freedoms, making the present a relatively utopian sanctuary by comparison.
Personal Preferences Over Time Periods
I, for one, choose to lead a simple life, deriving my happiness from spiritual and natural luxuries rather than material ones. Freedom and personal agency are more valuable to me than possessing the latest gadgets or enjoying extravagant lifestyles. viewing a pristine mountain or having a servant feed me grapes holds much more significance than the superficial allure of contemporary luxuries.
Hypothetical Escapes: A Trek Through Time
While we cannot physically escape the present, speculating about historical time periods can shed light on our values and the importance of freedom. If we must hypothesize, several eras would have provided the same, if not better, rights and freedoms:
The Golden Age of Eden
One of the most opulent eras is the Paradise of Eden before the fall of man. In this ideal setting, every right and freedom were available as no finite government existed; instead, God's sovereignty upheld human rights and freedoms. Man-made governments restricted these liberties, leading to the loss of absolute freedom.
The Post-Flood Period in Ancient History
For about 400 years after the Great Flood, the human race enjoyed a period of freedom. This era, before the advent of Nimrod's empire, was marked by peace and constitutionally governed communities. Sadly, the rise of Nimrod paved the way for war and centralized government, curtailing the freedoms enjoyed earlier.
Pre-Revolutionary War and Early American Wild West
Between the Revolutionary War and the ratification of the Constitution, a brief period existed where freedom flourished. Similarly, the early days of the American Wild West before the establishment of state governments were also characterized by freedom and minimal government intervention.
Lessons from the Past: The Iroquois Federation
While these are excellent periods, another noteworthy civilization is the Iroquois federation, which thrived from around 1100 AD to 1800 AD. This federation taught the European settlers about true freedom, enjoying a nearly 400-year period of internal peace and constitutional governance. Their system stood in stark contrast to the oppressive powers the Europeans brought to the American continents.
Other than these examples, the quest for absolute freedom often necessitates looking to the future. It is where true breakthroughs in governance and personal freedoms could occur. Keep in mind that freedom and rights are interconnected; true rights are meaningless without the freedom to exercise them.
Why Seek the Past for Freedom?
Do we really need to seek freedom in the past? Would we prefer to be free but impoverished over being secure but materially wealthy? I firmly believe that spiritual values are infinitely more valuable than material wealth. While material luxuries can provide temporary satisfaction, they do not equate to long-term happiness and contentment. True freedom often transcends such superficial desires.
Ultimately, our choices and values shape the society we desire. We must strive to create a present and future where freedom and rights are cherished and protected, for true happiness lies not in escaping the past but in building a better tomorrow.
Keywords
freedom, luxury, past time periods