So Which Is Better?

Which is preferable?

A - A dog tied to a tree or post in the yard.  He doesn't pull against his leash, but you know that if you just let him run around on his own, he'd be gone down the street in a moment.  He's a great dog, but you can't trust him to control himself and be responsible about his territory.  You wouldn't want him to get into shit by digging through the neighbors trash or, God forbid, hurt himself somehow by running around.  So restrained he stays.  You also need to dole out his food to him in rations and ensure he's drinking enough.  He always eats what he's served, but you are fairly sure that if his meals weren't scheduled, he would either over or under eat.  So you continue to portion his food for him.

B - Different dog.  This one can be off of his leash at all times.  You give him more freedom, he has the ability to act independently, but he makes the conscious choice to obey and stay within the yard - no matter how tempting it is to chase a car, play with the kids, or go after a squirrel.  You feel comfortable letting him outside and allowing him to do whatever he is supposed to be doing unsupervised - trusting that he will take care of himself without going against the rules he has been trained to follow.  You can leave food and water out for him freely, knowing that he will take what he needs neither too often nor not often enough.  This dog can be trusted because of the work you've put in with him.

I don't know if there is really a "right answer" here.  I know which one I would prefer as an owner.  I also know which category I'd probably fall into (although I'm not sure what Master thinks).  But think of A and B as slaves.  Which is "deeper" in slavery?

It's kind of a confusing theoretical question, at least to me.  B seems like a counter intuitive choice because this individual is given MORE freedom.  They are given choices.  They can CHOOSE to obey or not... but they (almost) always choose to obey.  But some would say that having self control - or ANY control - runs perpendicular to the idea of slavery and that a "slave" given control and volition is not really a slave at all.

Alternatively, A needs to be told what to do.  A will (almost) always do what they're told to do, but they still need to be told.   That has the disadvantage of being time consuming and potentially frustrating.  A has no control over his or her self.  For an owner (master, dom, whatever) that likes to micromanage, this could be a better ideal anyway.  But this individual has not learned to obey.  As such, they are not allowed options.

So I'll bring it back to the audience.  Again, I have an opinion.  Maybe my bias showed through in my writing.  But I'm not REALLY sure.  What do you think?  Which is "more" slave-like?  Or is there an answer at all...?

*~zelda...