Re: coercion

Katya Mandoki (mandoki who-is-at cueyatl.uam.mx)
Fri, 26 Apr 1996 19:30:40 -0600 (CST)

I wonder where exactly could we trace coercion in the case of Jessica
Dubroff. Was she coerced by society's competitive standards? By her
parents' desire of her becoming the first girl pilot? By her own superego?
By her feeling of thrill? Or was she too uncoerced by her parents who didn't
dare tell her "sorry, baby, you'll have to wait till you're older". As
some people are more equal than others, some accidents are less
accidental than others. I wonder, in this case, whether this freedom many
children would envy, is in fact a disguised form of coercion.

Remebering Erich Fromm, what about coercion to freedom? Fearing freedom,
shouldn't we be coerced into assuming it, or should we die in the desert
so the new free generation will emerge?

katya