How free are you?

Some people would argue that none of us are free. We are controlled by a state that uses the media to perpetuate fearfulness of everything. Fear of death, illness, homelessness, poverty, the Terror. This fear is then counteracted by some ineffective solution, which normally involves buying stuff to make it all better so we then become constant consumers as well as victims of fear mongering.

The only thing we can't buy to make better is terrorism. So instead we assume the omnipotent state will do what is best and what is right for our safety. We stop asking them questions about it because they are literally the only solution to this terrible enemy, and so then they start to look at our private lives on our private online profiles which we were promised would be totally safe and private. This, of course, is how we will stop the Terrorists. By reading everyone's emails sans permission. Forget all other forms of communication like letter writing, phone calling and plain old speaking, emailing is the one way we will destroy the enemy. Your human rights might just be infringed a little along the way... Sorry. 

Okay so it's supposedly over now, GCHQ were wrong and exploitative and that is official as of 2015.  However, I know a surprisingly large amount of people who were completely fine about the government violating their privacy without their knowledge. This, they assure me, is for the greater good. Also, they say, our lives aren't even that interesting. 

This is a fantastic revelation. 

My life just isn't interesting enough for me to actually care about its privacy. I am so petrified of the Terror that I will literally give up my rights so that a futile attempt can be made to oust any vaguely suspicious looking men whilst villages are burned and innocent citizens are beheaded in a far off land that is confusing and alien to us. I don't mind if my small little life is intruded upon and my private conversations are read by some strange man in Cheltenham to basically no avail. The enemy must be defeated somehow, whoever that enemy might be. Fear the enemy. Fear, fear, terror, fear, war, fight, terror, fear. 

If you are constantly exposed to fear mongering news stories then you start to believe everything you are told. And once this happens, how free are you?