Dirty Harry | Becoming is Superior to Being

The Ghost Of America Past — The Sixties 13 comments

Willow Springs Ranch-8228 art I blog The Ghost of America Past — Image by kenne

Below, I’m sharing one of my favorite passages from the movie, Easy Rider. Isn’t it funny how both the political “left” and the “right” claim they know the meaning of “freedom.” This passage is often referenced by the religious-right and the secular-left, when the movie Easy Rider was a critical statement by a generation about America.

Remember how Bush used the film in his 1988 campaign as a symbol of a discarded American attitude, replaced by Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry, “Go ahead, make my day!”

For me, I still agree with George Hanson, “. . . this use to be a helluva good country.” Just goes to show you that if “objective reality” exist, its definition is defined by each individual, making reality very subjective. Or, put another way, objective reality exist, but our experiences of it are subjective.

— kenne

George Hanson: You know, this used to be a helluva good country.
I can’t understand what’s gone wrong with it.

Billy: Man, everybody got chicken, that’s what happened. Hey, we can’t even get into like,
a second-rate hotel, I mean, a second-rate motel, you dig? They think we’re gonna cut their throat or somethin’.
They’re scared, man.

George Hanson: They’re not scared of you. They’re scared of what you represent to ’em.

Billy: Hey, man. All we represent to them, man, is somebody who needs a haircut.

George Hanson: Oh, no. What you represent to them is freedom.

Billy: What the hell is wrong with freedom? That’s what it’s all about.

George Hanson: Oh, yeah, that’s right. That’s what’s it’s all about, all right.
But talkin’ about it and bein’ it, that’s two different things.
I mean, it’s real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace.
Of course, don’t ever tell anybody that they’re not free,
’cause then they’re gonna get real busy killin’ and maimin’ to prove to you that they are.
Oh, yeah, they’re gonna talk to you, and talk to you, and talk to you about individual freedom.
But they see a free individual, it’s gonna scare ’em.

Billy: Well, it don’t make ’em runnin’ scared.

George Hanson: No, it makes ’em dangerous. Buh, neh! Neh! Neh! Neh! Swamp!