Freedom is relative.

I had a great conversation with one of the locals here. He had spent some time in Chicago and California and we spoke of the United States.

“The United States is a good place to earn money,” he said, “but living there takes something from you. Here in Mexico, I am free. If I want to go hunting in the hills, I can go hunting in the hills. I don’t need a license or special permits. I can do what I please and go where I please.”

It was an interesting perspective. The U.S. is all about the idea of freedom, but this gentleman’s first complaint was that the U.S. kept him down. He felt that there were too many rules to follow and the rules restricted freedom enough that he had no real desire to go back.

“I don’t think I can leave my family like this though,” he added, “I have four kids. Three daughters:16, 14, and 3. and one son, 6. I’d like to go north and earn some money to help them, but at the same time I need to be here. My youngest daughter is [sweet]. She runs up to me when I get home from work and shouts ‘pappi pappi!’ and kisses my cheek. I don’t think I could my family right now even to earn more money to help them.”

The conversation then switched to Visas.

“I want to get a Visa for Vacation to the States but it’s very hard. When I was in the United States before, I was there illegally. On the forms they ask where you’ve lived for the last 10 years. I was in the U.S. in 2000. I can’t lie. So I’ll tell them I was in the U.S. They may turn me down. I hope they let my daughters in. Some of my brothers and sisters are in the United States and I’d like my daughters to be able to see what it’s like there.”

I greatly enjoy chatting with foreigners about the U.S. It’s interesting to learn what the country looks like from the outside in.

Intersections and Government

Intersections and Forms of Government

4 way stop: Democratic/Capitalistic
There’s a general structure of underlying rules and people are, more or less, fair to each other. The first person to show up goes first, and drivers tend to pass the right of way back and forth regardless of the driver or type of car. If anyone blatantly disobeys the public’s expectations, they are honked at and shouted at by the public or sued in court.

Two road intersection w/ yellow and red blinking light: Plutocracy

A rule by the wealthy where the wealthy refers to the fast. If you’re stuck at the red blinking light you might never get out, because the yellow light folks have a distinctive right of way advantage.

Intersection with traffic cop: Totalitarian
State regulation of all aspects of traffic behavior.

Intersection with Traffic Lights: Authoritarian
Government without the consent of those being governed. You show up at the light and do what you’re told, regardless of how many cars are lined up one on street vs. the other.
This does not apply for Traffic Lights with magnetic car sensors.

Rotary: Anarchism
Lack of order. Complete confusion.

Help me finish my list! I’m trying to think of good intersection examples of:

Aristocracy – government by a ‘superior’ group
Dictatorship/Monarchy – government with a head of state
Tyranny – harsh rule over the people