The secret of control

[bean fidhleir]

"To give your sheep or cow a large, spacious meadow is the way to control him." (the late Rev. Shunryu Suzuki, Japan-born US Zen Buddhist priest)

How many here understand it?

[liberal N proud]

1. You take away Americans TV and they will revolt

They live on American Idol and Dancing with the Stars.

[formercia]

2. But there's still a fence.

Bread and circuses. The plebeian demand little more.

There will always be a fence, it's just a matter if you let yourself see it.

[otherlander]

4. In America

I don't think we've really been given a "large, spacious meadow". But what about more progressive nations, the Netherlands, etc? What would you say the "fence" is there? Is there a fence around the people in the Netherlands, or are they free but living off of wealth created by people in less-free and less-wealthy nations, thus buying their own freedom by keeping fences around other people?

[formercia]

5. Every society has limits, thus a fence

some are higher than others. Then, there is the fence we put around ourselves. We hobble ourselves like livestock because it gives us security.

[Richard D]

3. The fence is agreement . . .

. . . spoken or unspoken. Like others have said - TV.

One of the most radical and freeing of actions: throw the TV away.

[eridani]

6. Cow Poetry from Gary Larsen

The distant hills call to me.
Their rolling waves seduce my heart.
Oh how I want to graze in their lush valleys.
Oh how I want to run down their green slopes.
Alas, I cannot.
Damn the electric fence!
Damn the electric fence!