Freedom or Order?

"What did you do?" I snapped at the special forces commander sitting in front of me, bound to his chair.

"Me?" he replied, "This is what you wanted isn't it? Out with the old and in with the new, Freedom! For everyone." he gave me a cold smile.

"This," I pointed to the burning city, "is not freedom!" I shouted at him.

He must've planted bombs throughout the city, or his special forces must be inciting violence among the crowds.

"What did you think would happen, hm?" he said.

"Did you think people would be dancing and singing in the streets? That flowers would be falling from windows and strangers embracing each other out of joy?" He laughed.

"Your rebellion wasn't even united, what makes you think the people are?"

I shook my head as I looked out the window. I could see store windows being smashed in and people running out of buildings carrying as much as their arms could manage. This isn't how this was supposed to go.

"You should have left things how they were," he added.

"Really? public executions? limited freedoms? people taken away in the dead of night? You're right, it was just perfect doing it your way wasn't it?"

"It will never be perfect, but it was peaceful. Crime was practically non-existent. Wars among us became a thing of the past. As a race, humanity was thriving!" he spat, "The first day of your rule, and look what's happening, the city is on fire!"

"Thriving! People living in the outer sector were surviving off of scraps and metal sheds!" I snapped back.

"Anyone who enlisted in the military would be provided food and housing, as well as a monthly wellness check for their family. The ones who suffered had a way out and they refused. I'm not going to feel sorry for them."

"You want them to serve in A government that uses their mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters as slaves! They are oppressed into being forced what to think, feel, and say. Why would they serve such a government?"

"Because it has kept them safe," he said, "before you and your rebellion showed up how long had it been since we had a major conflict?"

I didn't answer right away, I couldn't.

"None, zero, not since we left Mother Earth, four-hundred years ago. Have you even looked at humanity's history? We couldn't go twenty years without trying to kill each other by the thousands and even between those wars there were constant minor conflicts. Four hundred years, you call it oppression of the innocent. I call it order for the greater good."

I shook my head, "no one should have to suffer something they don't have to. Freedom is a right shared by everyone."

He made a noise of disgust. "Oh give me a break! Suffering is a part of life, and freedom is a right only entitled to the strong. The weak can only enjoy freedom if they trick the strong into killing and dying for them. so, congratulations on being played a fool."

"How can someone become so jaded?" I replied, "How do you think you are so right when you have caused so much suffering?"

"suffering?" he said, "look out the window, does the city look like it's at peace right now? No? But it's free isn't it, hurray for liberty!" he said with a laugh that slowly faded.

"Freedom is like fire, It's a warm concept. It can shine as a light of hope." he narrowed his eyes as he continued speaking. "but in the end, it's still fire. No matter how many precautions you take, no matter how careful you are. It will eventually burn everything down, and the only way to remain truly safe is to snuff it out."

I tried to think of something to say back but I couldn't. The screaming and yelling echoing throughout the city made it even harder to refute what this man was saying. Then I remembered my family and friends, all who suffered under the regime. All who died, all the unnecessary pain.

"Your order is oppression and death." I finally said in a low voice.

"Your freedom is chaos and destruction." He replied in a voice that matched my own.