3 ms·

It's called a metaphor, typically children start distinguishing them in written speech at about 4yo.

• imgabe 8y ago
  It is a very telling metaphor in terms of attitudes regarding relative roles of individuals and government. I'm not sure if you're American or not, but many Americans would recoil at the idea that they should be treated like a farm animal. An animal on a farm might be treated well (at the discretion of the farmer) (until they are slaughtered), but they aren't free. An animal in the wild has freedom, but not security. America heavily favors the latter, or at least it used to, times may be a'changing.
  • dsfyu404ed 8y ago
    >An animal in the wild has freedom, but not security. An animal that gives up its freedom for security deserves neither. I agree that the original metaphor was inappropriate because it compares people to domesticated animals and crops that have no free will and would not exist without the farm, not to mention the personal freedom implications of equating citizens to domesticated animals.
  • fifnir 8y ago
    You're grasping at the words trying to force an irrelevant and unsubstantiated point. No, I'm not saying to treat people like animals, on the contrary, I was arguing for allowing people the dignity to study without debts.
    • imgabe 8y ago
      And what I'm trying to tell you is that living as a ward of the state is not something many people would consider to be dignified.