What is the relationship between power and freedom?

Anonymous

It can be adversarial. Those with the most power tend to concede the least freedom to others. On the other hand, ordinary people can be empowered by freedom, which is probably why dictators don't want to give them any.

username_hidden

Have you written anything about how the people with most power have least freedom? They are tied down by responsibilities, security concerns, fear of losing their power, fear of how the media will interpret their words and actions, etc.

Spock (rhp)

power is the ability to accomplish some end chosen by the person who has the power. freedom is the ability to do as one sees fit, irrespective of the power of others. plainly, if you hold the balance of power, you are free to do as you see fit. example: the US Navy acquired the ability to control the world's oceans as a result of World War II. Using this power, the US promulgated the doctrine of "free passage" onto all of the world's sea level waterways -- including straits which are controllable by land by one or more nations. (example: The Strait of Malaya is controllable by Indonesia and Malaya cooperating to deny passage to anyone they disapprove of.) This is plainly an exercise of power and, in the opinion of some other nations, infringes on their historic freedom to impose tolls on, or deny passage to, the shipping of their opponents in the local scheme of things. China's efforts to create islands in the South China Sea [which other nations name differently] are an effort to use power to intimidate everyone else into allowing China to control the area -- which would infringe on freedom of navigation to Haiphong (Vietnam) -- allowing China to control whose ships may trade there, or to tax such ships for doing so. Atm, China's efforts are not successful because the US Navy's power is such that China can't afford the war that might show the US Navy no longer holds the required power to impose its vision/policy [free navigation] in the area. *** ok -- here's you take and a summary example applied to the current real world. it's up to you to make this into the required essay

Ritvik

equal