# The world as it is **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 16, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638 "2012-08-16T01:51:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Demilade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@Demilade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demilade)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/1 "2012-08-16T01:51:23Z")
is it possible that all this freedom that we currently have become the end of us? ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/2 "2012-08-16T01:52:02Z")
I’ll give it a definite “maybe”. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/3 "2012-08-16T02:54:32Z")
Moved from General Questions to Great Debates. **samclem** moderator ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/4 "2012-08-16T03:16:25Z")
> [@Demilade](#): > > is it possible that all this freedom that we currently have become the end of us? Welcome to the SDMB. Please elaborate on your question. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/5 "2012-08-16T03:18:11Z")
No, because we haven’t ended. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/6 "2012-08-16T03:22:35Z")
Sure, it’s possible. We might all decide, unanimously, that life isn’t worth the candle, and put ourselves quietly and peacefully to death. In a less “free” sense, we might get into an escalating nuclear conflict, and blow ourselves to hell. Or we might find out that climate change reaches a “tipping point” and the earth’s atmosphere shoots up to 190 degrees F. (Average.) Damn near anything you can imagine “could” happen. What are the likeliest outcomes? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/7 "2012-08-16T03:27:01Z")
My Magic 8-Ball says “Ask again later”. ---
**Author:** ![greenslime1951](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9bcb4/32.png) [@greenslime1951](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenslime1951)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/8 "2012-08-16T04:30:48Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Moved from General Questions to Great Debates. > > **samclem** moderator Ooh, welcome to the SDMB. You’ve passed the initiation–you had a thread moved! Congratulations! And just to answer your question, I consider our destruction because a significant portion of humanity becomes/remains _un_free much more likely than that our freedom destroys us. ---
**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/9 "2012-08-16T04:37:48Z")
Who among us is too free as to endanger humanity? The answer is nobody. The only thing that can endanger humanity is placing too much power in a centralized authority. So it follows that freedom is not a dangerous concept, but giving up too much freedom is possibly apocalyptic, yes. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/10 "2012-08-16T11:25:39Z")
> [@Demilade](#): > > is it possible that all this freedom that we currently have become the end of us? What “freedom” are you viewing with such alarm? Please be concise and specific. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/11 "2012-08-16T12:03:48Z")
I am free to eat too much ice cream. It may indeed kill me. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/12 "2012-08-16T14:40:29Z")
> [@WillFarnaby](#): > > The only thing that can endanger humanity is placing too much power in a centralized authority. And bears. And overpopulation, global warming, pollution, etc. – the sorts of crises brought about by the “[tragedy of the commons](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons).” Individuals acting in their own interest _without_ central authority can indeed cause disastrous situations. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/13 "2012-08-16T14:45:29Z")
I’m going to go ahead and say NO (to the OP). ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/14 "2012-08-16T14:48:43Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > I’m going to go ahead and say NO (to the OP). Thank you! I’m relieved that I can eat all the ice cream I want without endangering myself. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/15 "2012-08-16T17:24:24Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/16 "2012-08-16T18:18:37Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Yes. NO! ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/17 "2012-08-16T18:22:21Z")
Maybe! ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/18 "2012-08-16T18:56:51Z")
I believe that with all the freedom we currently have it will be eventualy abused to the point where we loose it. We will vote ourselves too many benefits from a goverment that cannot sustain what we are asking. This could lead to all sorts of problems including civil wars, or genocide, who knows? ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/19 "2012-08-16T19:09:29Z")
> [@badger5149](#): > > I believe that with all the freedom we currently have it will be eventualy abused to the point where we loose it. We will vote ourselves too many benefits from a goverment that cannot sustain what we are asking. This could lead to all sorts of problems including civil wars, or genocide, who knows? Zombies, even! Who knows??!?11 Obviously, I can see the mechanism for how government benefits lead to genocide (or zombies) but would you mind explaining it for the edification of the sheeple? ---
**Author:** ![greenslime1951](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9bcb4/32.png) [@greenslime1951](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenslime1951)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638/20 "2012-08-16T19:39:32Z")
> [@miss\_elizabeth](#): > > Zombies, even! Who knows??!?11 > > Obviously, I can see the mechanism for how government benefits lead to genocide (or zombies) but would you mind explaining it for the edification of the sheeple? If you can’t see the obvious causal link between freedom, the modern liberal welfare state, genocide, and zombification, then you are obviously a bleeding-pancreas liberal and should be sat upon by Rush Limbaugh. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-world-as-it-is/631638.md?page=2)