This is my reply to Christopher's substack article posted today about the 4th of July, Christopher. Titled: "Independence Day and the Illusion of Freedom" I wanted to reply and for some reason Substack is not allowing me to post a reply. Need to figure out why, but in the mean time, I wanted to at least send my reply to the collective as I feel this is an important subject.... Thank you for taking the time to educate. I agree with you 100%. I have discontinued "celebrating American made holidays by the US Corporations since 2019. It has been very interesting to watch those still asleep be pulled in by the marketing ploys. As we watch the stores bleed the unaware humans still contributing their money to the 1% profiting on their ignorance and unassuming bliss. Just blinding following the herd because "everyone else is doing it". Not realizing what they are actually celebrating. Such a great question you are posing, "Freedom from and for whom?" Right on...good question, Christopher! I love it! I am going to ask this question to anyone today who does declare "Happy 4th directly to me". Curious to hear/see what reactions I receive to that question. I love this statement you also made, "You are not free simply because you can go to the store and buy more things. You are not free because you can drive a nice car, live in a beautiful home, scroll endlessly on your phone or distract yourself with comfort." (reminds me of The Talking Heads) A theme I was becoming aware of while reading your eloquent words from the perspective of an HSP re-programming out of a karmic narcissistic upbringing, is that I am personally learning how to be the true "FREE/Sovereign", which does not include materialism, consumerism, numbing, etc.... That makes me wonder how many people on this planet are trying to re-program from being raised by caretakers who taught us to care about false narratives, focusing on others to avoid our own pains, traumas, suffering to keep us in an unhealed state and avoidance of our true selves?