Political Rewind: Author Sebastian Junger On The Contending Tenets Of Freedom, Community
Friday on Political Rewind: As the July 4 holiday approaches, New York Times bestselling author Sebastian Junger joined us to reflect on the basic tenets of freedom in society.\n\nIn his new book, Freedom, Junger writes that throughout history, humans have always been drawn to two competing ideals: community and freedom. The author writes that the two have never coexisted easily. After all, we value individuality and self-reliance yet are dependent on community to meet our most basic material and emotional needs.\n\nHis insights are relevant to how we view our own roles and responsibilities in modern society.\n\n\u201cWhat you have is freedom from oppression, not freedom from obligation," Junger said. "Your society has the right to ask things from you.\u201d\n\nJunger explores that tension in his book while recounting his travels, on foot and off-the-radar, along the railroad tracks crisscrossing the American countryside.