Order Vs. Freedom

Technology in the modern world is advancing at a more accelerated pace than ever before. Cameras are everywhere, from the outside of a warehouse to the body of a New York police officer.  Facebook and Twitter gives anyone on the street an intimate glimpse into the personal values and history of a person. The NSA has admitted to listening in on phone conversations, and much of the confidence we place in a higher power has been revealed to be insecure. The so called "freedom" of the modern age is underplayed by the need for order.  Although modern order is good to control the wheels of societal functions, the way modern authority keeps control strips people of their freedom of privacy. The balance between order and freedom has yet to reach equilibrium, as authority is encroaching upon the civil liberties of the individual.

To keep the basic needs of our societal structure afloat, it is imperative that there be some sense of order. Without traffic laws, how would anyone know where to drive, let alone remain safe on the road? The police can help enforce these rules to ensure public safety. In order to insure that people are safe, it is extremely convenient to have police or the government insure that domestic unrest does not grow to be an outrage. In ways, martial law can be a proactive approach to situations because it allows the government to put a stop to any aggravation being produced in that particular place.


Although order can be a proactive thing, the post 9/11 world has become paranoiac about security, and through listening to phone calls and looking over Facebook posts has created a sense of repression, because certain things cannot be shared privately anymore. There is great uncertainty as to what lengths the government will do to retain order. Everything from a soundbite to a picture can now incriminate anyone. In Jon Stewart's new movie, Rosewater, a man is interrogated because he did an interview with The Daily Show. The authorities believed this man to be conspiring against the state because of the content of that interview, despite it being for completely comical purposes. The events of Rosewater illustrate how someone's individual thoughts and privacy can be warped by the constant need for order in a society.

Employers today look on Facebook pages and Twitter accounts to get a more full picture of a person. They no longer rely strictly on resumés, which can be edited by the potential employee. This invasion of privacy means that people no longer feel safe to have the freedom of posting things online without the fear that some executive will be scrutinize every word.

The NSA, as stated above, have admitted to listening into phone conversations. This action by the NSA constricts the personal and private conversations that people have. A conversation with a relative about the condition of an ill parent is not for the ears of some government worker. This violation of privacy is all in the name of order.

The lines are blurred between order and freedom. Higher authority, whether they be the government or a future employer, constrict individual freedom. The balance between freedom and order is bent more towards order more than ever before, due to the increasing amount of communication that we are able to participate in. The best way to combat the increasing necessity for order is to be upfront about feelings and opinions, because then the people, as well as the authorities, can recognize that what people need more than order and freedom is transparency.