In the series of WanderingChina, I post my random thoughts I had during my trip to China.
Today, I would like to quote one unforgettable word from a girl – who has never been outside China, that I met in the trip. Her word was engraved deeply in my memory, and it makes me think about freedom of speech, freedom of expression, censorship… things that have become more and more controversial and complicated with rise of the Internet.
“You are lucky not because you’re Japanese, you are lucky because you’re born in a country with freedom”
* Remember, this is a word from a Chinese girl, who does not even know Google or Facebook.
Being someone who asks Google for everything – from the weather to the grammar -, and is so used to seeing media saying whatever they want on their governments, I don’t know whether it is a form of freedom. And even if it were freedom, I don’t know whether this freedom is what makes our life better.
What is freedom, after all?
And is it always the case that freedom makes our life better off?
Freedom is a tricky thing ; when you don’t have it, you desire it. But when you do have it, you don’t feel its benefits.
Freedom is valued when it is absent…
