Ella Fireside

October 1​st​ 2018

Modern World

Can liberty and equality co-exist? (Communism / Democracy)

Thesis/ Bridge:
Throughout history, America has been known as the land of opportunities and new

beginnings. The freedom to take responsibility for one’s actions, the freedom to pursue one’s

dreams and life goals, and the freedom to choose one’s destiny have all been part of American

history. We know destiny is the ascendancy believed to control what happens to us in the future.

Liberty plays a role in one’s freedom, where it’s more than just the state of being free, it’s the

independence amongst the people who can share their own opinions and learn the fundamentals

of being individuals out in society. Freedom makes people think about a place where family can

be together, where people can have enough money, get fair treatment, and have opportunities for

work and advancement.

America shouldn't be looked at as the American Dream because of bad politics and

intolerance. Presently, politicians aren’t being the biggest role models for our society. If there’s

equality, individuals aren’t treated differently; equal opportunities have a bad impact on society.

Paragraph 1:​​ Arguing liberty is fairer then equality

Equality is when everything is the same for all people. Liberty is having more freedom for
people. There is a statue for equality that has two scales that are balanced. The Statue of Liberty
has a famous poem from Emma Lazeraus which says, “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” This
means America is willing to take in any people who want to be free and give them a chance to
make their own choices. This is different from equality – because equality means that everyone
is the same but that might mean that you as an individual might not have the chance to do what
you want. The reason that I say liberty is more fair than equality is because it gives you a choice
over what path you take rather than having someone tell you.

Paragraph 2:​​ Why equality can’t co-exist with liberty

In America, the question is asked if equality can co-exist with liberty, but that is impossible
because they can’t intertwine – it’s going to cause chaos and a bad society. Like for now, we are
still controlled by a government. Right now everyone has freedom but with equality everyone is
expected to follow rules the government makes. For example, all Americans must pay taxes,
which is the act of equality. Americans don’t have the freedom to not pay them.
You can’t have half and half – half of people are free while the other half aren’t. The people who
don’t have freedom need to work harder than those who do have freedom. Liberty is everyone
has the freedom to choose, equality is everyone having the same choices. Sometimes when
things are equal, one person’s choices can take away someone else’s liberty. When you have true
liberty, you don’t need to worry about equality because with true liberty everyone has the right to
choose.

Paragraph 3:​​ Communism/ Democracy (Russia, U.S)

“We have, on the whole, more liberty and less equality than Russia has. Russia has less
liberty and more equality. Whether democracy should be defined primarily in terms of liberty or
of equality is a source of unending debate.” Reinhold Niebuhr “Russia and the West” (1943).

Conclusion: