"Will dissent be permitted? The answer to that question will determine whether the society is a free society or a fear society"

In this quote, Natan Sharansky is posturing a sixty-four-thousand-dollar question about the nature of a society. He is asking whether dissent, or the expression of differing viewpoints and beliefs, will be permitted. According to Sharansky, the answer to this question is what ultimately identifies whether a society is really free or if it is ruled by worry. In a free society, people are able to openly express their ideas and concepts without fear of punishment or persecution. Nevertheless, in a fear society, dissent is not tolerated and those who speak out versus the federal government or social standards are met repercussions. Sharansky's quote highlights the significance of flexibility of expression in a genuinely democratic and open society.