The Illusion of Freedom

The Illusion of Freedom the future, so engrossed is he in the present. Everyone is fully conversant with what is happening today but is oblivious of the blows that will fall tomorrow. What man must finally come to terms with is not the ‘here and now’ but all eternity. The Illusion of Freedom I n December 1983, a severe drought brought the Ivory Coast’s hydro-electric stations to a standstill. Since they had supplied ninety-two percent of the country’s electricity, this meant that sometimes there was no power for as many as 18 hours a day. Computers, electric typewriters, refrigerators and other gadgets ceased to operate. Diners in luxury hotels were forced to eat by candlelight, while houses, shops and offices were lit by lanterns. For fear of being caught in lifts, many businessmen simply gave up going to their offices. One commuter be-wailed his lot to a New York Times correspondent: “For years I had gone from my air-conditioned villa in my air-conditioned car to my air-conditioned office. I never realized how hot it really is here.” All this in a country which at one time had been called the “Showcase of Africa” because of its glittering array of residential and commercial centres. It was only when there was an unprecedented drought that people realized what an artificial world they had been living in. It was only then that they realized how disagreeable the reality was.