Che pensa Lei?

[starvingartist]

I just had a very intellectually stimulating conversation. I figure why not share the thoughts. My friend is here from Italy, and we began discussing the war. So I asked him, che pensa lei? What do you think? He responds, what are my personal thoughts, or what are the thoughts of the public, media, etc, that I also agree with. Of course I wanted his thoughts. So then he says we must then discuss our thoughts on the concept of freedom. Likewise, I completely agree, of course, it is through the analyzation of concepts, and not situations, in which one can arrive at the truth. Otherwise one's perceptions of what is and what is right is distorted. We then discussed freedom, etc. Then we got into the subject of Anti-American sentiment. Which he believes stems from this exact topic. Freedom and what he believes is an abuse of it or a misconception, even in the simplest forms. I myself have lived in Italy, and clearly saw where this sentiment derived from. Even though I do not agree with it. Ok, I must give a simple example for this to make any sense. For example, it is not customary to order cappuccino at night. A companion of mine knowing this would refuse to adhere to it, and would order it. Well some places served it, others didnt. Now, this is where the anti-american sentiment comes in, they feel Americans knowingly disrespect and refuse to follow rules because of their need to express their freedom to do so. The conversation then led to a question which had us both in a standstill for words. At what point does one's expression of freedom become the suppression or infringement of another's. One can say, when the expression is harmful in a physical way to another. But this does not clearly answer the question fully. Because freedom does involve expression which is also not physical in nature. We both wanted to keep the war out of the conversation but could not control the temptation. At one point does the attack on Iraq become an invasion and disregard for the freedom of the people who live there? or the freedom to keep, or change thier own leader? One can not help but draw the conclusion that in order for freedom to exists, suppression must also exists. Or consequently one's freedom means the submission of someone else. However the fundamental question remains unanswered at what point does the expression of freedom infringe upon another's freedom? We could not come up with an answer. My friend responded, at the point in which the waiter must go into the kitchen take out the cappuccino maker that was put away, make the coffee, and then reclean the machine. hehe. Seriously, Im not sure if an answer exists.