Alan Watts Quote

"But when no risk is taken there is no freedom. It is thus that, in an industrial society, the plethora of laws made for our personal safety convert the land into a nursery, and policemen hired to protect us become selfserving busybodies."

by:	Alan Watts (1915-1973) British-American philosopher
Source:	Tao: The Watercourse Way, 1975
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Categories:	Courage, Freedom, Law, Liberty, Police, Privacy, Resistance, Responsibility, Revolution, Security, Spirituality, Death
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-- Mike, Norwalk
Laws are necessary for us to live in harmony - we are not intelligent enough to live without laws. It's when laws become the tool of the despot, the megalomaniac, the vengeful leader, the egotist, the fool, to manipulate there own agenda and not the the welfare of the people then it is wrong, but in law itself it is pure we make it in pure. It is people not Law that is the problem.  -- Robert, Sarasota      3 1
In my opinion,this quote has 2 parts of which I will comment on the 1st.-"When no risk is taken,there is no freedom".Some risks have to be taken,at times,to obtain a degree of "freedom" but once those freedoms are realized,they are immediately in danger of attack by those who disagree with the freedom or wish to restrict it's implementation.If this "challenge" to "freedom" is denied,then the 2nd part of this quote would not hold any truth.Coffee time......  -- Me Again      2
Yes, government protects us from ourselves. More and more laws for our personal safety. But I don't need or want protection from myself. And the courts have ruled police have no responsibility to protect us. "To Protect And Serve" is no longer true.  -- Joe, Rochester, MI      4
Reminds me of the current propaganda being dumped on western 'civilzation'.  -- E Archer, NYC      2
Is a policeman a "busybody" by spending his time observing, and possibly meddling when necessary, in the behavior, of the people in his jurisdiction? I say he is tending to business, as he should do -- assuming he is a "good cop"  -- Jack, Green, OH      3
As self-regulating free agents one might assume that police function as "meddling busy bodies," but we are manipulated by external interests so that "natural man" does not exist. Natural man knows that he should treat others as he would like to be treated, but the perverse nature of our own creation cannot be trusted to be self-regulating.  -- gc_wall, Phoenix      3
-- Human, Earth
Well said, Joe.  -- jim k, Austin
Depending on where one lives, " industrial society " ? The 40 hour work week, safety regulations, age limits ? Each person can choose for themselves. Knowledge and skills acquired creates opportunity for independence, freedom. I choose to contract as an individual. My right, but comes with a great degree of responsibility. Living in a retirement community, resort area, policing is a different matter. There is always a list of who not to bother. There are good officers and bad. It has been my experience to follow a good conscience. Policing ones self, well, makes for good service to others. Respect and humility go a long way. The good as well as the bad are known by their words and actions. I have met many good officers on the Oregon coast, they have their hands full with the poor and abusive of themselves and others. The industrial revolution has done more harm, than good. Small communities, busybodies do not last long. Ground zero, the aging industrialized zones.  -- Ronw13, Yachats Or
-- jim k, austin
At nature's law, inalienable rights and liberty with the freedom to exercise such inherent distinctions are innate in the being. “Risk”? - probably, to secure individual nature’s rights, liberty and freedom in ANY society there will always be a certain effort and risk. Any assembly of righteous persons that inherently abide individual sovereignty, inalienable rights and liberty at nature’s law may be measured by the lack of restricting codes and rules. By objective observance; prior to a decade or so before the war between the States, there were no policemen. There were only elected sheriffs with free parties assisting where necessary. The war’s victors evolved an exponential increase of usurpation, tyranny, socialism, slavery for all with a general degradation of carnal gods / fleshly lawmakers anti-nature’s law life style. The carnal gods continue to increase their plethora of laws made for our personal safety, converting the land into a nursery where policemen serve and protect the governing malefactors will against a once free people (NOT ! ! ! serving or protecting WE, the individual sovereigns). The more corrupt the system / people become, the greater the need for governing laws and policing agents.  -- Mike, Norwalk      1
We are not naturally criminal. The police are a totally incorrect installation. We should not be preoccupied with crime, but the path of law abidingness. We are a conventional arrangement trying to make crime pay. We need an appropriate attitude that crime provides no benefit. We need to understand the conceptualization of prosperity.   -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown      1

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