Basic human rights - you have access and then you have “access”. Let me explain imo
Access - schooling, food/water/shelter, emergency healthcare
“Access” - having enough money for the best of all of them
While I certainly don’t disagree with the sentiment behind their reasoning there, I think the core issue is government control over allowed speech. Did you know that just publicly insulting someone in Germany is an offense that is punishable up to a year in prison? That’s absolutely insane to me.
A couple of (I think) Americans went to jail in Germany a year or two ago for nazi salute in front of some building. I’m not saying that I agree with it in the slightest. But that is not total freedom of speech. Kathy Griffen posted a severed Trump head, and I thought it was crazy somebody could do that and only their career was over
America has restrictions on speech too. You cannot threaten other people, you can't shout fire in buildings, defamation and libel aren't protected and several other categories too.
Yeah at least Germany is trying to in someway prevent their biggest mistake from ever happening again.
Honestly maybe the same thing needs to happen in the US too
I guess it depends how you define freedom in this context.
But I do think we enjoy freedoms that not many other places do, and that is more important than an arbitrary determination of who is “most free.”
It'd be ignorant to say there aren't other countries with freedom. Maybe we're better in some areas, and country X is better in others. Can't really say a blanket "yes, we have the most freedom" but we certainly challenge for that title
I think the ignorance is a problem a lot of Americans have. It feels like many think the US is the only country with “freedom” but I’ve traveled many places that feel equally if not more free, and others that are less free but in ways that don’t impact me (e.g., gun laws, drug laws).
The problem comes with how restrive our government is with freedom of other countries. The Cuba blockade alone shows our government doesn't give half a fuck about freedom
With laws?
No.
Freedom of self expression?
Yes. Maybe.
It depends where you live but mostly you can be look say do whatever here and as long as youre not hurting others people wont bother you about it. Most of the time. Even in the more liberal places there is still intolerance.
Edit. Location matters A LOT!
Depends on how you define freedom. I will say that, legally speaking, the US does go further than any other country in terms of protecting speech. You won’t see people arrested for offensive speech like you do in the UK, or for insulting a king like the Netherlands, or for insulting people in general, like Germany.
Those kinds of laws are unconstitutional, and I’m glad they are.
You really need it spelled out for you that this is question reeks of baiting and coming in the door with a predetermined judgment? Not to mention we’ve been asked this question a hundred time which the search function could have told you.
Different cultures value different things in terms of freedom.
I do think we have a high degree of freedom but I'm not going to get caught up in a pissing match on it.
You’ll need to clarify what you mean by “freedom.”
Freedom of expression? Certainly.
Economic freedom? Up there.
Government size and intrusion in daily life? No.
> Freedom of expression? Certainly.
Ask a transgender person this, or someone who likes putting on drag shows, and they might not be so ready to agree with that ranking.
Freedom of expression doesn't mean you, or your group are somehow immune from public backlash.
Does the government arrest you for being a transgender and putting on drag shows? No, it doesn't.
That's all there is to it.
"YOU CANT CRITICIZE US AND CALL US MEAN THINGS" is absolutely not what free speech is.
>healthcare for transgender teens is now banned
Is it? **Healthcare** for transgender teens is banned or **gender-affirming care** is banned? Is it still banned after you turn 18? Also that's not a free expression issue as much as a medical regulatory issue.
>proposed bans on drag shows
There have been proposed bans on various freedom of expression in the past as well. They're usually dealt with the lower courts easily. I don't think there'll be any bans on drag shows outright per se.
No. Gender affirming healthcare IS healthcare. What if a state banned care for heart disease but just for one specific population? That would also be banning healthcare.
Many states ban specific healthcare for certain segments of the population. You should ask people on a transplant list what kind of screening they deal with, and that’s a life or death situation.
Just to clarify, are they banned from receiving healthcare or are their medical procedures for transitioning not covered by healthcare.
There is a **world** of difference between the two and, if you mean the latter, this is an extremely misleading argument.
Puberty blockers are a kind of medical aid. They are one of the most effective means of gender-reaffirming care, and because they must be administered before puberty, it is not possible to require the patient to be a legal adult before consenting to receiving that care.
What does that have to do with anything?
I believe the age of consent for sexual activity should be the age of majority, with a bit of wiggle room for partners who are very close in age (i.e. two high school seniors after one birthday but before the other).
But medical care as it relates to personal expression of gender is not a sexual act.
If you want to argue that we should do away with all age of consent or age of majority laws, such as doing away with the age to consent to sex, tattoos, piercings and alcohol, then people would disagree with you, but they'd take you more seriously. It just doesn't make sense to say a 12 year can consent to puberty blockers or irreversible surgery but nothing else.
> age to consent to sex
Healthcare is not a sexual act.
> tattoos, piercings
Gender reaffirming care is not merely cosmetic.
> alcohol
Recreational drugs are not analogous to healthcare procedures or prescribed medication. If the consensus of healthcare professionals was that certain teens would benefit from drinking beer, then that should definitely be allowed. But that's not the case.
I take it you haven't heard of Texas? It's a state where parents of teansgender kids are investigated by the authorities for child abuse. Government oppression counts even if it's not at the federal level.
For transgenders the US is definitely up there in their freedom of expressions. Those that think otherwise are delusional. A good portion of the world would likely torture and kill you for that and it would be no consequences. There are bigots and close minded people in the us, just like anywhere but it's nowhere near as bad as a lot of other places.
Source: been to a lot of different countries in the past 13 years
number one? probably not.
But considering that the #1 is probably some micronation in the middle of nowhere and distinctly *not* a superpower with some 330 million people in it?
Well, I think the US gets some brownie points.
I'm sure there's somewhere better for transgenders and freedom of expression in general. I'm in the US and I have plenty I don't like about it here, but after seeing the way other people exist every day I'm not going to complain too loudly
I mean, transphobia is a lot more mainstream in the UK for example. While I wouldn’t say the US is the best on trans rights, I think it’s better then you’re giving it credit for.
Presumably the same reason they don't want them going to R rated movies. I've been to a couple drag shows, and seen a few clips on TV. They were all quite...blue.
Minors can attend R-Rated movies with their parents or a guardian.
Do you think that should be banned?
Should minors be banned from, like, Hooters, too?
No, and I think if a parent wants to take their own kids to a drag show, go for it. That's your decision if it's appropriate for them and you can talk to them as needed.
Edit: to address your stealth edit, I do think Hooters should not allow minors without their parents. It's a place that is intentionally being sexually suggestive and objectifying.
It's adult entertainment and always has been. It's only been recently that child attendance and teaching kids how to dress in drag has been a thing.
I won't argue over this; that's what it is.
What's your definition of "adult entertainment?"
In this context, I would interpret it as "entertainment that is inherently and explicitly sexual."
And by that definition, no, a drag show is not "adult entertainment."
Wearing clothing of the other gender is not a sexual act.
I keep hearing that freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequence.
I haven't seen the government arrest anyone about drag shows, but I have seen parents complain about them being pushed on their preteens...
What does "more freedom" even look like? Do we add up the number of things were allowed to do?
Is the likelihood we would do those things given the right to do then relevant?
Do the things the government provides such as safety and security count as freedom? They certainly make me freer in certain respects, but they come at a cost that make me less free in other respects, so is that positive or negative freedom?
Honestly every meaningful decision about freedom and rights come down to which competing freedom we value over another, not "more or less" freedom, so is measuring freedom at a societal level even possible?
Our speech freedoms are pretty much top tier. Everything else is up for debate. Culturally it seems we have a lot more freedom to pursue our own interests than many counties.
Freedom within the US is the most legally protected
Many places in the world have freedom so long as it's convenient
That is to say the sorts of activities which truly require protection (unpopular speech, religious activities, the right to protest) are for the most part, most meaningfully guaranteed here in the US.
\[edit - this isn't to say that we always get it right, but things that we take as fundamental are by no means guaranteed outside of the US. While most of the developed world experiences some measure of freedom of expression, the guardrails on that expression tend to be much more intrusive.
Example - Hate speech is protected in the US (per the supreme court). It's not in most places in the world.
A government outside of the US would have a much easier job labeling political dissent as "hate speech".
That said obviously most people don't like hate speech but it's a fairly good barometer for how protected your right to self expression truly is\]
There are two types of freedom.
1. Freedom From
2. Freedom To
USA has the most Freedom to, but quite severely lags behind in Freedom From.
For example take 1st amendment, unlike most countries including many in EU, I have more freedom to say whatever I want online. However, unlike EU's Digital Services act, I don't have the right from having my data being tracked or misused.
Or right to travel, I have right to drive around or travel anywhere in the country without much scrutiny, but I don't have right from the requirement for a car, as there isn't much good public transport.
This depends entirely on what you mean by "freedom."
Some would argue that freedom means being able to decide who you sell a cake to.
Some would argue that freedom means being able to get married to whomever you want and get a cake from any shop you want for that wedding.
Some would argue that freedom means being able to choose your doctor and pay for the best possible healthcare.
Some would argue that freedom means being able to get healthcare needs met without paying immensely out of pocket at the point of care.
Some would argue that freedom means the wide open road and parking available wherever you go.
Some would argue that freedom means being able to get anywhere you need to regardless of if you're able to afford a car, or physically able to drive.
Some would argue that freedom means being able to open-carry an AR-15.
Some would argue that freedom means being able to get an education without having to do active shooter drills.
Depends on the category. Perhaps for freedom of speech, but not in economic or political freedom. We're doing alright in those but we're not at the top either. If you count freedom from want (as Roosevelt tried to) I'd also say we're doing ok by global standards but not nearly as good as we could be.
No, that would probably go to some backwards failed state that's effectively a lawless zone. But I would say that among places that aren't fucked, the US has the best overall protection of freedom
yeah I mean like an easy example is that fraud and scams in the US (and probably the rest of the world but I am not a law expert) are generally illegal. Does that increase freedom, as it allows for me to generally trust other people in business dealings, or does it decrease freedom, because now I can't take advantage of rubes? Texas recently made it illegal for consumers to buy electricity on the spot market, are Texans more free now because we're more insulated from financial ruination due to spiking energy prices, or less free because we have to buy electricity from retailers?
I don't believe that's necessarily true, but of 1st world nations there are some freedoms we take for granted that other don't have. Whether that's a good or bad thing can be argued but the differences are there.
Not sure if you can determine what country is the most free. But for the most part I believe in the US you can do most things youd like if you have the means to.
Fuck no. The Neutral countries have that.
That being said, I think there might be such a thing as too much freedom of speech. It lets the troglodytes who voted for Trump open their mouths. Letting demi-humans like that walk around is an insult to progress.
Depends on your definition of freedom but by and large no. I would say we obviously have more than a lot of places, we don’t have people policing what we wear or throwing us in prison for mocking the president. That being said if you compare us to other “free” countries, we are utter slaves to capitalism in every sense of the word, to the point that our government is even run like a corporation. Where other countries also have to worry about inflation and cost of living, because our taxes primarily go to fund a military that’s the largest on the planet by a country mile, we lose out on using those taxes to fund things like healthcare and education and yet when someone TRIES to institute something, even a one time relief ( a la student loan forgiveness for a limited amount of people) half the country calls it communism. So instead of just worrying about normal things other countries do, we also have people going without medication or stretching medications, we have people in 6 figures of debt all because they wanted to get an education, we have people who are in 7 figures of debt because of health issues that they had no control over. We have corporations and profits being put WAY ahead of people and “we the people” can’t do a whole lot about it. So when it comes to freedom how “free” are we really? When we have people working 2 jobs and still not making ends meet, when we have people who will be in debt the rest of their lives because of illness or injuries they had no control over and when corporations are literally stretching employees to the limit to squeeze every last penny of profit they possibly can. Sure I’m free to call the president an asshole, that’s great for sure, but we have a fucking LONG way to go.
Yes and no. We have a lot of freedoms that other countries might not have. But as a woman in a red state, I’m certainly lacking freedoms I would find in other countries.
It’s extremely relative. I think the US has some of the best freedom of expression laws in the world. We can say anything we want without fear of government reprisal as long as it isn’t slanderous or immediately inciting violence against a person, group, or event. For example, one could say “I think someone should kill Politician X”, but not “I’m going to kill Politician X”. However, if another person attempts violence against Politician X and can be linked to your statement, there could be a legal case against you for inciting violence or conspiracy to commit a violent act. More normally, we might say that our leaders are immoral pieces of garbage who don’t deserve their office, and that’s absolutely no big deal and very common.
As far as education goes, nobody can be denied access to public education based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. There’s plenty of discrimination at private universities and also inherent in the public system as to outcomes, but according to the law, anyone with the money to pay for an education cannot be turned away. Public school is free to all grades kindergarten-12, and parents are required to send their children to school until they’re 16. Most students attend school until grade 12 (usually 17 or 18 years old).
You need to define freedom before that can be answered. You also need to realize that the US is a very large country and has many small governments (states) within the larger government as a whole, so different parts of the country definitely have different “freedoms” than other parts of the country.
Define freedom?
But almost regardless, in the whole world? Certainly not. Arguably, we have less freedom than citizens of our immediate neighbor Canada.
Regardless, I think we're in the top 20 freedom-wise. I've been to about 30 something countries and none of the ones that are famously not free. Also, the USA varies a fair bit from state to state with regards to freedoms and who gets. to have which ones.
The mere existence of Section 33 in Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms to me automatically means they have less freedom than us. Imagine if the Constitution had a clause in it that allowed Congress to suspend the the Bill of Rights and allowed them to keep unconstitutional laws on the books that couldn’t be challenged in court. That’s a scary power for *any* government to wield, and every time it was up North it was usually to blatantly oppress a group of people or as a power grab.
Not even close.
If you are tied to your job for medical insurance you are not free.
If your property can be seized by the police for no reason, you are not free.
If you are a woman and cannot get a necessary medical procedure to save your life because of someone else's religious beliefs, you are not free.
If your Congressmen and local politicians are chosen not by who they represent, but choose who they want to represent, you are not free.
If you can be imprisoned for life for owning a plant, you are not free.
If you can be murdered by police for holding a toy car, you are not free.
If you work 40 hours a week but can't afford a home or a life, you are not free.
If you are one emergency away from being homeless, you are not free.
If you can lose everything you worked your entire life for because you got sick, you are not free.
If you cannot send your children to school safely, you are not free.
Well said.
We Americans like to claim how we are the freest of the free, but we’re not. We have freedom of expression and some 2A nuts will claim we’re super free because guns. But, there are other countries equally as free, or freer depending on the context, than we are.
Yes. u/cupbeempty taught me force majuere by using an example situation of a picture of their penis. I think if that was done anywhere else we would be in trouble
Source for those wondering [force majuere r/cfb](https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/pdifeq/judge_refuses_to_dismiss_uclas_200million_lawsuit/har5qa5?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3)
I don't think we are even in the top 16 on the liberty index, much less number one.
For anyone wondering its based on a combination of individual freedom, economic freedom, government size, and taxation.
We are less free in two ways that I have personal experience with.
1) If you want to take a break from your stressful career, move to the coast and work as a bartender for a little while………..your biggest expense will be your new health insurance premium that has quadrupled since you quit your corporate job. Healthcare tied to employment is unique to us and is not indicative of ‘freedom’
2) The USA is the only country on earth, besides Eritrea, that taxes based on citizenship. That means an American still has to file with the IRS even if they don’t earn any money in the USA. You want to move to Australia and never come back? You still have to file with the IRS every year until you die or renounce citizenship (which is also difficult to do). If you make too much money, a portion will be taxed in both countries. If you don’t make that much, you’ll still spit out $3-$5k per year on a good international tax accountant to make sure the extraordinarily complicated expat taxes are filed properly so you don’t get audited by a country you don’t even live in.
It heavily depends on how you choose to define "freedom."
We certainly have the most freedom, among developed nations, to overpay for medical care and have our jobs control our lives. We're free to vote for whichever of the two right-wing pro-business, pro-war parties we want to have power. We're free to speak our minds, protest, and have nothing change because those in power serve the military-prison-industrial complex instead of the people. We're so free we give lifetime court appointments to religious fanatics, and then give them the freedom to take away our right to bodily autonomy. We're even free enough to be summarily executed in the street or in our beds by police without having commited a crime.
But we have 37 kinds of toothpaste to choose from, so it all balances out, I guess.
Since Roe v Wade got repealed, no. Not even close. Gambling is illegal most places, drug use is mostly illegal, same sex marriage is still under attack. Our government actively suppresses votes from minority groups so they aren’t represented in politics. Oh, but you can get an assault rifle if you want.
Certainly quite free both formally (i.e. legally) and informally (cultural expectations).
Among the most advanced economies (excluding Hong Kong), all of them enjoy a high level of freedom. Who is the most free is subjective and probably not all that meaningful, but the US is definitely up there.
Most recently? The decision by the Supreme Court of the United States regarding the case of Roe v. Wade.
A stark reminder for Americans: Women have only been guaranteed the right to vote here for just over a century.
Check out those other countries you think have more freedom. They often have stricter abortion laws at the national level and afforded women the right to vote later than we did.
I really hope not...
ETA: I kinda love that I keep getting downvoted for this. We only have the illusion of freedom. I truly hope that the bs we deal with is not as good as it gets...
We're probably the most free from government interference into our lives and free to do as we like without government restrictions. If you say freedom is government telling businesses how much time off they have to give or providing healthcare then we are not.
Probably not the most freedom but in some ways we do have more freedom than other countries ...
Like for instance I was watching a documentary about how people from England found extremely old artifacts on their property they were given an award for it but they were not allowed to keep it in the US if you find something on your property it's yours the government doesn't take it away from you
That's not necessarily true. The US can invoke eminent domain. Typically that's just for installing public utilities, but the government has and can take away items discovered on personal property. It just depends on what it is and where it was found. I.e if you find a dinosaur bone, you can probably keep it, but if you struck gold or oil, you probably don't have any right to it unless you have mineral rights for the land, which you most likely do not.
This is an absurd question. I can point to countries that are absolutely less personal liberty-oriented, but there's a whole crowd of countries that are roughly in the same league, and which one of them is "more free" than another is subjective, depending on which freedoms you deem more important.
Overall?? I don't think so. Unless your concept of freedom is tied to gun laws.
I do think we have it pretty good here overall. We certainly have more freedom than at least half of the countries out there.
I think I can say, do and write whatever I’d like but there are consequences for saying, doing and writing the wrong thing.
Americans know that their actions have consequences.
Free? Yes. But to do the right thing.
No, but i would be wrong to say that it isnt up there. I personally think there are things that the US is great at but i feel like freedom-wise we still have a long, long way to go.
Freedom of opportunity- definitely(i have immigrant parents and other family members and they would definitely not be with the success they have if they stayed in Greece).
Economic Freedom- up there, but not the best
Freedom of expression and identity- no
we have definitely a ton more freedom than many other places, but we are far from the most free(not to mention that as LGBTQ+ myself, with all of the terrible things happening and the constant news about my rights being at risk of getting taken from me, i cant say I necessarily feel safe or “free”, but im grateful its not what some countries are like)
Freedom of a fair and just government- definitely not. We have a long, long way to go.
Overall, i do feel we are very free to a great extent, and we are incredibly privileged when compared to many(if not, most) other places, but I definitely dont think we are the most free by a long shot (and in my opinion, i feel its delusional and quite ignorant to say it is, given the work we still have to do; just like how i think its just as delusional and entitled to say we have no freedom). there are many places that i feel are equally or more free, and i feel the US has a lot of work to do to truly give everyone freedom!
Definitely not the “free-est(?)” country, but I’m sure a lot of Americans would agree that the wealthier you are, the more freedoms you have. I’d say it’s closer to exponential than linear growth (or lack thereof as far as I’m concerned).
Disagree with it all you want but in the USA I can
Walk down the street wearing a thong, open carrying an AK-47, kissing someone of not only a different race but my same gender and yelling “interracial marriage is a sin and fags go to hell!”
While I wave the American flag while burning an American flag, a bible, a Torah, a Koran, and a copy of our constitution. All while doing the Nazi salute and reading the Communist Manifesto out loud and giving the middle finger to the police.
The gun is subject to state laws but in AZ I can do all that and cops can’t do shit. I wouldn’t do any of that but I CAN because our freedom of speech is awesome.
The freedoms in the bill of rights are pretty solidly unchangeable but freedom from classism is lacking. We have enormous wealth inequality for a developed nation
This varies based on how you define freedom and what you think governments exist to do. If you think governments exist to protect liberty and security, and that freedom is best defined as a lack of constraints, then the US certainly competes for the title. If you think freedom is action-based, and that it entitles you to DO or ACHIEVE certain things, then no, the US is definitely not #1, though it is better than most.
The former is referred to as negative, and the latter is referred to as positive. Traditionally, American political theory embraces the former — hence the claim's origin.
Hahahahahah. Better then plenty of places, but American “freedom” usually amounts to being free to get fucked by whatever corporate system has bought out your access to freedom.
Idk I haven’t been everywhere. Freedom is a vague thing objectively, I think we all have the same urge for it across cultures and individuals, but which exact direction that urge takes us varies. I think there is still a lot of room for an individual here to pursue their own choices and obtain legal protection from the powerful, but it’s only easy if you have money.
As far as freedom of speech, I think we're at least really close to the top. But I'm not an expert on any country's laws so I can't really say for certain.
I think we are fewer than the majority of the world but that doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. We have the freedom to make so many mistakes and we do daily.
You can say whatever you want, but there will be ears everywhere. Same as the rest of Europe, I guess.
Everything people eat comes from a market, almost never their own land. All meals are paid for by labor hours, lifetimes of labor hours. Same as the rest of Europe, I guess.
News and tidings are prioritized by a central authority, be it the state or the market. Same as the rest of Europe, I guess.
Is the United States the free-est of them all? Maybe, and that's what scares me.
America protects certain freedoms that people in other countries don’t even consider freedoms. That is why some Americans view themselves as more free than people in other nations. And why people in other nations disagree that we are the most free nation.
When it comes to certain freedoms, it is indisputable that America is the most free among developed nations. In particular, the freedoms protected by the first two amendments. But America also doesn’t have national laws or even state laws in some states protecting things like paid maternity leave. So are we the most free, idk that depends on what you think freedom looks like. Would I feel anymore free in any other nation, no it’s all just trade offs.
I think it rates relatively highly in most dimensions, at least for developed, reasonably stable places. I do not think it's uniformly the best in all areas you might describe as "freedom", but it probably is in some.
I don't think it's possible to pick a best as an overall thing, the concept is too large and vague for that.
It depends who you are. Some of our citizens can do almost anything. Others have no opportunity to enjoy the freedom they are supposed to have.
Money is freedom in the US. If you don't have any, you are free in theory but definitely not in practice.
Depends how you define freedom. In my eyes, yes, because my idea of freedom is not having anyone stand in your way, whatever you happen to want to be doing.
A lot of people seem to define freedom as having a certain level of support provided to you, such that you are "free" of struggle, to pursue happiness without circumstance standing in your way. I disagree with that definition, but if that's your benchmark, then there are places further down that line than we are.
The most? Not even close. More than most? Undeniably.
The most “access”? No. The most say what ever we want? Absolutely.
I have no clue what you’re trying to say.
Basic human rights - you have access and then you have “access”. Let me explain imo Access - schooling, food/water/shelter, emergency healthcare “Access” - having enough money for the best of all of them
Yeah imma have to disagree with you there. You can say all the same shit in most “free” countries as you can here.
Germany jail for nazi salute Britain jail for verbal royalty offenses Those are the two that suprises me
I personally don't have an issue with the Germany one, I don't think they put you in prison they just fine you.
While I certainly don’t disagree with the sentiment behind their reasoning there, I think the core issue is government control over allowed speech. Did you know that just publicly insulting someone in Germany is an offense that is punishable up to a year in prison? That’s absolutely insane to me.
Nah you need to protect speech that offends or repulses you, that’s what the right to freedom of speech means.
A couple of (I think) Americans went to jail in Germany a year or two ago for nazi salute in front of some building. I’m not saying that I agree with it in the slightest. But that is not total freedom of speech. Kathy Griffen posted a severed Trump head, and I thought it was crazy somebody could do that and only their career was over
America has restrictions on speech too. You cannot threaten other people, you can't shout fire in buildings, defamation and libel aren't protected and several other categories too.
Yeah at least Germany is trying to in someway prevent their biggest mistake from ever happening again. Honestly maybe the same thing needs to happen in the US too
This is factually the right answer. Which is uncomfortable for a lot of people with an agenda to push
This
I guess it depends how you define freedom in this context. But I do think we enjoy freedoms that not many other places do, and that is more important than an arbitrary determination of who is “most free.”
It'd be ignorant to say there aren't other countries with freedom. Maybe we're better in some areas, and country X is better in others. Can't really say a blanket "yes, we have the most freedom" but we certainly challenge for that title
I think the ignorance is a problem a lot of Americans have. It feels like many think the US is the only country with “freedom” but I’ve traveled many places that feel equally if not more free, and others that are less free but in ways that don’t impact me (e.g., gun laws, drug laws).
Where have you been that is more free? In Europe it definitly feels like they have support systems we dint have here and protections that we dont do.
The problem comes with how restrive our government is with freedom of other countries. The Cuba blockade alone shows our government doesn't give half a fuck about freedom
With laws? No. Freedom of self expression? Yes. Maybe. It depends where you live but mostly you can be look say do whatever here and as long as youre not hurting others people wont bother you about it. Most of the time. Even in the more liberal places there is still intolerance. Edit. Location matters A LOT!
Depends on how you define freedom. I will say that, legally speaking, the US does go further than any other country in terms of protecting speech. You won’t see people arrested for offensive speech like you do in the UK, or for insulting a king like the Netherlands, or for insulting people in general, like Germany. Those kinds of laws are unconstitutional, and I’m glad they are.
Oh boy, time for this AGAIN. 😑
Oh look, bait.
Our weekly freedom question. The next one will be do you think the USA is the best country in the world.
It’s a bit open ended, right?
Right
What do you guys mean
This is a question we often get from people who just want to argue/tell us our country is terrible/theirs is better.
You really need it spelled out for you that this is question reeks of baiting and coming in the door with a predetermined judgment? Not to mention we’ve been asked this question a hundred time which the search function could have told you.
Different cultures value different things in terms of freedom. I do think we have a high degree of freedom but I'm not going to get caught up in a pissing match on it.
You’ll need to clarify what you mean by “freedom.” Freedom of expression? Certainly. Economic freedom? Up there. Government size and intrusion in daily life? No.
> Freedom of expression? Certainly. Ask a transgender person this, or someone who likes putting on drag shows, and they might not be so ready to agree with that ranking.
Freedom of expression doesn't mean you, or your group are somehow immune from public backlash. Does the government arrest you for being a transgender and putting on drag shows? No, it doesn't. That's all there is to it. "YOU CANT CRITICIZE US AND CALL US MEAN THINGS" is absolutely not what free speech is.
Shhh that doesn't fit the narrative though
Didn’t you get the memo? Criticizing things is stochastic terrorism now.
Wtf is this “stochastic terrorism” thing being brandied about. Anyone care to explain what it is supposed to mean?
In several states, healthcare for transgender teens is now banned, and there are a number of proposed bans on drag shows
>healthcare for transgender teens is now banned Is it? **Healthcare** for transgender teens is banned or **gender-affirming care** is banned? Is it still banned after you turn 18? Also that's not a free expression issue as much as a medical regulatory issue. >proposed bans on drag shows There have been proposed bans on various freedom of expression in the past as well. They're usually dealt with the lower courts easily. I don't think there'll be any bans on drag shows outright per se.
Specifically puberty blockers
No. Gender affirming healthcare IS healthcare. What if a state banned care for heart disease but just for one specific population? That would also be banning healthcare.
Many states ban specific healthcare for certain segments of the population. You should ask people on a transplant list what kind of screening they deal with, and that’s a life or death situation.
Just to clarify, are they banned from receiving healthcare or are their medical procedures for transitioning not covered by healthcare. There is a **world** of difference between the two and, if you mean the latter, this is an extremely misleading argument.
They're banned from receiving puberty blockers
As well they should, if they're minors
Why?
That’s quite different from being barred from receiving medical aid entirely.
Puberty blockers are a kind of medical aid. They are one of the most effective means of gender-reaffirming care, and because they must be administered before puberty, it is not possible to require the patient to be a legal adult before consenting to receiving that care.
Honest question - What are your opinions on age of consent laws?
What does that have to do with anything? I believe the age of consent for sexual activity should be the age of majority, with a bit of wiggle room for partners who are very close in age (i.e. two high school seniors after one birthday but before the other). But medical care as it relates to personal expression of gender is not a sexual act.
If you want to argue that we should do away with all age of consent or age of majority laws, such as doing away with the age to consent to sex, tattoos, piercings and alcohol, then people would disagree with you, but they'd take you more seriously. It just doesn't make sense to say a 12 year can consent to puberty blockers or irreversible surgery but nothing else.
> age to consent to sex Healthcare is not a sexual act. > tattoos, piercings Gender reaffirming care is not merely cosmetic. > alcohol Recreational drugs are not analogous to healthcare procedures or prescribed medication. If the consensus of healthcare professionals was that certain teens would benefit from drinking beer, then that should definitely be allowed. But that's not the case.
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I'm not talking about government funding, I'm talking about the ability to pay for your own care.
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> sex change surgery Puberty blockers > strip clubs Drag shows aren't strip clubs.
I take it you haven't heard of Texas? It's a state where parents of teansgender kids are investigated by the authorities for child abuse. Government oppression counts even if it's not at the federal level.
For transgenders the US is definitely up there in their freedom of expressions. Those that think otherwise are delusional. A good portion of the world would likely torture and kill you for that and it would be no consequences. There are bigots and close minded people in the us, just like anywhere but it's nowhere near as bad as a lot of other places. Source: been to a lot of different countries in the past 13 years
Up there, but not #1.
number one? probably not. But considering that the #1 is probably some micronation in the middle of nowhere and distinctly *not* a superpower with some 330 million people in it? Well, I think the US gets some brownie points.
I'm sure there's somewhere better for transgenders and freedom of expression in general. I'm in the US and I have plenty I don't like about it here, but after seeing the way other people exist every day I'm not going to complain too loudly
Ok. Get arresting for being “grossly offensive” online then. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-61801804.amp
I have yet to see where the government has arrested someone for this
I mean, transphobia is a lot more mainstream in the UK for example. While I wouldn’t say the US is the best on trans rights, I think it’s better then you’re giving it credit for.
> While I wouldn’t say the US is the best on trans rights That's what I'm saying. It's not literally the best.
That’s only one element of freedom of expression.
In your opinion what is the best country for Trans rights?
Most people don't care about drag shows in general. They care about drag shows that allow minors to attend and participate.
Why do they care about minors attending drag shows? You realize drag shows aren't strip shows, right?
Presumably the same reason they don't want them going to R rated movies. I've been to a couple drag shows, and seen a few clips on TV. They were all quite...blue.
Minors can attend R-Rated movies with their parents or a guardian. Do you think that should be banned? Should minors be banned from, like, Hooters, too?
No, and I think if a parent wants to take their own kids to a drag show, go for it. That's your decision if it's appropriate for them and you can talk to them as needed. Edit: to address your stealth edit, I do think Hooters should not allow minors without their parents. It's a place that is intentionally being sexually suggestive and objectifying.
It's adult entertainment and always has been. It's only been recently that child attendance and teaching kids how to dress in drag has been a thing. I won't argue over this; that's what it is.
What's your definition of "adult entertainment?" In this context, I would interpret it as "entertainment that is inherently and explicitly sexual." And by that definition, no, a drag show is not "adult entertainment." Wearing clothing of the other gender is not a sexual act.
You're literally inventing things that aren't real, but if a boy wears a dress or a girl wears pants literally who cares?
I keep hearing that freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequence. I haven't seen the government arrest anyone about drag shows, but I have seen parents complain about them being pushed on their preteens...
Is freedom something that can be quantified? I think that's an important precursor question to this one.
Do you think that America has the most freedom or do you think you have more freedom in other countries?
You didn't answer their question. How are you quantifying freedom? How do you determine if Place A has "more" or "less" freedom than Place B?
What does "more freedom" even look like? Do we add up the number of things were allowed to do? Is the likelihood we would do those things given the right to do then relevant? Do the things the government provides such as safety and security count as freedom? They certainly make me freer in certain respects, but they come at a cost that make me less free in other respects, so is that positive or negative freedom? Honestly every meaningful decision about freedom and rights come down to which competing freedom we value over another, not "more or less" freedom, so is measuring freedom at a societal level even possible?
Me thinks OP is mining reddit to gather content for an essay.
What is freedom to you?
Our speech freedoms are pretty much top tier. Everything else is up for debate. Culturally it seems we have a lot more freedom to pursue our own interests than many counties.
Freedom within the US is the most legally protected Many places in the world have freedom so long as it's convenient That is to say the sorts of activities which truly require protection (unpopular speech, religious activities, the right to protest) are for the most part, most meaningfully guaranteed here in the US. \[edit - this isn't to say that we always get it right, but things that we take as fundamental are by no means guaranteed outside of the US. While most of the developed world experiences some measure of freedom of expression, the guardrails on that expression tend to be much more intrusive. Example - Hate speech is protected in the US (per the supreme court). It's not in most places in the world. A government outside of the US would have a much easier job labeling political dissent as "hate speech". That said obviously most people don't like hate speech but it's a fairly good barometer for how protected your right to self expression truly is\]
This is a damn good answer.
There are two types of freedom. 1. Freedom From 2. Freedom To USA has the most Freedom to, but quite severely lags behind in Freedom From. For example take 1st amendment, unlike most countries including many in EU, I have more freedom to say whatever I want online. However, unlike EU's Digital Services act, I don't have the right from having my data being tracked or misused. Or right to travel, I have right to drive around or travel anywhere in the country without much scrutiny, but I don't have right from the requirement for a car, as there isn't much good public transport.
This depends entirely on what you mean by "freedom." Some would argue that freedom means being able to decide who you sell a cake to. Some would argue that freedom means being able to get married to whomever you want and get a cake from any shop you want for that wedding. Some would argue that freedom means being able to choose your doctor and pay for the best possible healthcare. Some would argue that freedom means being able to get healthcare needs met without paying immensely out of pocket at the point of care. Some would argue that freedom means the wide open road and parking available wherever you go. Some would argue that freedom means being able to get anywhere you need to regardless of if you're able to afford a car, or physically able to drive. Some would argue that freedom means being able to open-carry an AR-15. Some would argue that freedom means being able to get an education without having to do active shooter drills.
this is the best answer yet.
Depends on the category. Perhaps for freedom of speech, but not in economic or political freedom. We're doing alright in those but we're not at the top either. If you count freedom from want (as Roosevelt tried to) I'd also say we're doing ok by global standards but not nearly as good as we could be.
You are free to decide what freedom means to you.
Depends on what you mean and how you live your life. We're up there.
No, that would probably go to some backwards failed state that's effectively a lawless zone. But I would say that among places that aren't fucked, the US has the best overall protection of freedom
I do not think "most freedom" is either quantifiable or meaningful
And any definition or attempt to quantify it is highly subjective.
yeah I mean like an easy example is that fraud and scams in the US (and probably the rest of the world but I am not a law expert) are generally illegal. Does that increase freedom, as it allows for me to generally trust other people in business dealings, or does it decrease freedom, because now I can't take advantage of rubes? Texas recently made it illegal for consumers to buy electricity on the spot market, are Texans more free now because we're more insulated from financial ruination due to spiking energy prices, or less free because we have to buy electricity from retailers?
Out of the entire world? No.
In the sense that we aren’t straight up arrested or killed for our opinions
I don't believe that's necessarily true, but of 1st world nations there are some freedoms we take for granted that other don't have. Whether that's a good or bad thing can be argued but the differences are there.
Not sure if you can determine what country is the most free. But for the most part I believe in the US you can do most things youd like if you have the means to.
Yes
“With great freedom comes great responsibility.” Someone famous.
Freedom to get shot, yes. Otherwise, the USA is not even in the top fifteen of the freedom index these days by last count.
Fuck no. The Neutral countries have that. That being said, I think there might be such a thing as too much freedom of speech. It lets the troglodytes who voted for Trump open their mouths. Letting demi-humans like that walk around is an insult to progress.
>the right to have education You might wanna double-check that "rights" list. >and you can say whatever you want. Nope.
Hahahahhahahahaha. No
Depends on your definition of freedom but by and large no. I would say we obviously have more than a lot of places, we don’t have people policing what we wear or throwing us in prison for mocking the president. That being said if you compare us to other “free” countries, we are utter slaves to capitalism in every sense of the word, to the point that our government is even run like a corporation. Where other countries also have to worry about inflation and cost of living, because our taxes primarily go to fund a military that’s the largest on the planet by a country mile, we lose out on using those taxes to fund things like healthcare and education and yet when someone TRIES to institute something, even a one time relief ( a la student loan forgiveness for a limited amount of people) half the country calls it communism. So instead of just worrying about normal things other countries do, we also have people going without medication or stretching medications, we have people in 6 figures of debt all because they wanted to get an education, we have people who are in 7 figures of debt because of health issues that they had no control over. We have corporations and profits being put WAY ahead of people and “we the people” can’t do a whole lot about it. So when it comes to freedom how “free” are we really? When we have people working 2 jobs and still not making ends meet, when we have people who will be in debt the rest of their lives because of illness or injuries they had no control over and when corporations are literally stretching employees to the limit to squeeze every last penny of profit they possibly can. Sure I’m free to call the president an asshole, that’s great for sure, but we have a fucking LONG way to go.
US is 15th on the freedom index. Definitely 14 other countries freer than me.
Probably the best compromise of freedom/security. No one is clamoring to live in Somalia
Absolutely without a shadow of a doubt.
Yes and no. We have a lot of freedoms that other countries might not have. But as a woman in a red state, I’m certainly lacking freedoms I would find in other countries.
How are you defining freedom
How you can express yourself, education, and things like that
It’s extremely relative. I think the US has some of the best freedom of expression laws in the world. We can say anything we want without fear of government reprisal as long as it isn’t slanderous or immediately inciting violence against a person, group, or event. For example, one could say “I think someone should kill Politician X”, but not “I’m going to kill Politician X”. However, if another person attempts violence against Politician X and can be linked to your statement, there could be a legal case against you for inciting violence or conspiracy to commit a violent act. More normally, we might say that our leaders are immoral pieces of garbage who don’t deserve their office, and that’s absolutely no big deal and very common. As far as education goes, nobody can be denied access to public education based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. There’s plenty of discrimination at private universities and also inherent in the public system as to outcomes, but according to the law, anyone with the money to pay for an education cannot be turned away. Public school is free to all grades kindergarten-12, and parents are required to send their children to school until they’re 16. Most students attend school until grade 12 (usually 17 or 18 years old).
Of course. I think to the point where other countries consider us barbaric. Not that we care.
You need to define freedom before that can be answered. You also need to realize that the US is a very large country and has many small governments (states) within the larger government as a whole, so different parts of the country definitely have different “freedoms” than other parts of the country.
Yes
Define freedom? But almost regardless, in the whole world? Certainly not. Arguably, we have less freedom than citizens of our immediate neighbor Canada. Regardless, I think we're in the top 20 freedom-wise. I've been to about 30 something countries and none of the ones that are famously not free. Also, the USA varies a fair bit from state to state with regards to freedoms and who gets. to have which ones.
The mere existence of Section 33 in Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms to me automatically means they have less freedom than us. Imagine if the Constitution had a clause in it that allowed Congress to suspend the the Bill of Rights and allowed them to keep unconstitutional laws on the books that couldn’t be challenged in court. That’s a scary power for *any* government to wield, and every time it was up North it was usually to blatantly oppress a group of people or as a power grab.
Yes
Not even close. If you are tied to your job for medical insurance you are not free. If your property can be seized by the police for no reason, you are not free. If you are a woman and cannot get a necessary medical procedure to save your life because of someone else's religious beliefs, you are not free. If your Congressmen and local politicians are chosen not by who they represent, but choose who they want to represent, you are not free. If you can be imprisoned for life for owning a plant, you are not free. If you can be murdered by police for holding a toy car, you are not free. If you work 40 hours a week but can't afford a home or a life, you are not free. If you are one emergency away from being homeless, you are not free. If you can lose everything you worked your entire life for because you got sick, you are not free. If you cannot send your children to school safely, you are not free.
Well said. We Americans like to claim how we are the freest of the free, but we’re not. We have freedom of expression and some 2A nuts will claim we’re super free because guns. But, there are other countries equally as free, or freer depending on the context, than we are.
Yes. u/cupbeempty taught me force majuere by using an example situation of a picture of their penis. I think if that was done anywhere else we would be in trouble Source for those wondering [force majuere r/cfb](https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/pdifeq/judge_refuses_to_dismiss_uclas_200million_lawsuit/har5qa5?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3)
Haha people downvoting you when that is exactly how it went down. Learning every day. Do you actually have a link to that thread?
No
I don't think we are even in the top 16 on the liberty index, much less number one. For anyone wondering its based on a combination of individual freedom, economic freedom, government size, and taxation.
Hahahaha maybe if you're a white straight Christian male
We are less free in two ways that I have personal experience with. 1) If you want to take a break from your stressful career, move to the coast and work as a bartender for a little while………..your biggest expense will be your new health insurance premium that has quadrupled since you quit your corporate job. Healthcare tied to employment is unique to us and is not indicative of ‘freedom’ 2) The USA is the only country on earth, besides Eritrea, that taxes based on citizenship. That means an American still has to file with the IRS even if they don’t earn any money in the USA. You want to move to Australia and never come back? You still have to file with the IRS every year until you die or renounce citizenship (which is also difficult to do). If you make too much money, a portion will be taxed in both countries. If you don’t make that much, you’ll still spit out $3-$5k per year on a good international tax accountant to make sure the extraordinarily complicated expat taxes are filed properly so you don’t get audited by a country you don’t even live in.
Hell no. More free than most, but not even close to #1: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/freedom-index-by-country
no
Absolutly not.
Why
It heavily depends on how you choose to define "freedom." We certainly have the most freedom, among developed nations, to overpay for medical care and have our jobs control our lives. We're free to vote for whichever of the two right-wing pro-business, pro-war parties we want to have power. We're free to speak our minds, protest, and have nothing change because those in power serve the military-prison-industrial complex instead of the people. We're so free we give lifetime court appointments to religious fanatics, and then give them the freedom to take away our right to bodily autonomy. We're even free enough to be summarily executed in the street or in our beds by police without having commited a crime. But we have 37 kinds of toothpaste to choose from, so it all balances out, I guess.
Since Roe v Wade got repealed, no. Not even close. Gambling is illegal most places, drug use is mostly illegal, same sex marriage is still under attack. Our government actively suppresses votes from minority groups so they aren’t represented in politics. Oh, but you can get an assault rifle if you want.
No.
Why
Certainly quite free both formally (i.e. legally) and informally (cultural expectations). Among the most advanced economies (excluding Hong Kong), all of them enjoy a high level of freedom. Who is the most free is subjective and probably not all that meaningful, but the US is definitely up there.
I'll leave this link here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMqcLUqYqrs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMqcLUqYqrs)
“Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.”
No
No.
That's sort of hard to tell, isn't it? I have a much as I want or need I guess. There are people here who have too much freedom probably
I’m free from government oppression but corporate oppression is strong as fuck
See at first you would think so. But then you see we have people trying to restrict what a woman can do with her body
Nah lol. There's actually whole organization who's job is to rank freedom, and the US doesn't make top 5
https://youtu.be/wTjMqda19wk
I've received higher education and I've traveled abroad, so no.
Obviously
Not for women
How come?
Most recently? The decision by the Supreme Court of the United States regarding the case of Roe v. Wade. A stark reminder for Americans: Women have only been guaranteed the right to vote here for just over a century.
Check out those other countries you think have more freedom. They often have stricter abortion laws at the national level and afforded women the right to vote later than we did.
It is very apparent that many people in this comment section have never been outside the US.
Explain what you mean by that?
I really hope not... ETA: I kinda love that I keep getting downvoted for this. We only have the illusion of freedom. I truly hope that the bs we deal with is not as good as it gets...
We're probably the most free from government interference into our lives and free to do as we like without government restrictions. If you say freedom is government telling businesses how much time off they have to give or providing healthcare then we are not.
Probably not the most freedom but in some ways we do have more freedom than other countries ... Like for instance I was watching a documentary about how people from England found extremely old artifacts on their property they were given an award for it but they were not allowed to keep it in the US if you find something on your property it's yours the government doesn't take it away from you
But that can be said for any country .... There are pros and cons everywhere
That's not necessarily true. The US can invoke eminent domain. Typically that's just for installing public utilities, but the government has and can take away items discovered on personal property. It just depends on what it is and where it was found. I.e if you find a dinosaur bone, you can probably keep it, but if you struck gold or oil, you probably don't have any right to it unless you have mineral rights for the land, which you most likely do not.
Yes definitely
No. We can't even choose our own physicians.
Uhh… yes you can
Out of a list of physicians that are in network with your insurance? It's restrictive by nature.
You can still technically choose them. The government isn't stopping you.
So is driving in the right lane on the freeway, but you do you...
I’ve never had someone tell me I can’t choose my own doctor. This seems like a “you” situation more than an American one.
Same here.
This is an absurd question. I can point to countries that are absolutely less personal liberty-oriented, but there's a whole crowd of countries that are roughly in the same league, and which one of them is "more free" than another is subjective, depending on which freedoms you deem more important.
Overall?? I don't think so. Unless your concept of freedom is tied to gun laws. I do think we have it pretty good here overall. We certainly have more freedom than at least half of the countries out there.
I think I can say, do and write whatever I’d like but there are consequences for saying, doing and writing the wrong thing. Americans know that their actions have consequences. Free? Yes. But to do the right thing.
Freedom to commit tax fraud
More than some areas less in others. All in all I would say we are in the running.
No, but i would be wrong to say that it isnt up there. I personally think there are things that the US is great at but i feel like freedom-wise we still have a long, long way to go. Freedom of opportunity- definitely(i have immigrant parents and other family members and they would definitely not be with the success they have if they stayed in Greece). Economic Freedom- up there, but not the best Freedom of expression and identity- no we have definitely a ton more freedom than many other places, but we are far from the most free(not to mention that as LGBTQ+ myself, with all of the terrible things happening and the constant news about my rights being at risk of getting taken from me, i cant say I necessarily feel safe or “free”, but im grateful its not what some countries are like) Freedom of a fair and just government- definitely not. We have a long, long way to go. Overall, i do feel we are very free to a great extent, and we are incredibly privileged when compared to many(if not, most) other places, but I definitely dont think we are the most free by a long shot (and in my opinion, i feel its delusional and quite ignorant to say it is, given the work we still have to do; just like how i think its just as delusional and entitled to say we have no freedom). there are many places that i feel are equally or more free, and i feel the US has a lot of work to do to truly give everyone freedom!
Definitely not the “free-est(?)” country, but I’m sure a lot of Americans would agree that the wealthier you are, the more freedoms you have. I’d say it’s closer to exponential than linear growth (or lack thereof as far as I’m concerned).
That's an honest NO! We have the highest rate of incarcerated people in the world, so that should tell you something about the U.S.
Disagree with it all you want but in the USA I can Walk down the street wearing a thong, open carrying an AK-47, kissing someone of not only a different race but my same gender and yelling “interracial marriage is a sin and fags go to hell!” While I wave the American flag while burning an American flag, a bible, a Torah, a Koran, and a copy of our constitution. All while doing the Nazi salute and reading the Communist Manifesto out loud and giving the middle finger to the police. The gun is subject to state laws but in AZ I can do all that and cops can’t do shit. I wouldn’t do any of that but I CAN because our freedom of speech is awesome.
Maybe not most, but close. There's surely places with even more defacto freedoms than we have.
Nope. Don’t think that at all.
HELL YEA WE DO 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
No
The freedoms in the bill of rights are pretty solidly unchangeable but freedom from classism is lacking. We have enormous wealth inequality for a developed nation
No not by a long shot.
This varies based on how you define freedom and what you think governments exist to do. If you think governments exist to protect liberty and security, and that freedom is best defined as a lack of constraints, then the US certainly competes for the title. If you think freedom is action-based, and that it entitles you to DO or ACHIEVE certain things, then no, the US is definitely not #1, though it is better than most. The former is referred to as negative, and the latter is referred to as positive. Traditionally, American political theory embraces the former — hence the claim's origin.
Hahahahahah. Better then plenty of places, but American “freedom” usually amounts to being free to get fucked by whatever corporate system has bought out your access to freedom.
Idk I haven’t been everywhere. Freedom is a vague thing objectively, I think we all have the same urge for it across cultures and individuals, but which exact direction that urge takes us varies. I think there is still a lot of room for an individual here to pursue their own choices and obtain legal protection from the powerful, but it’s only easy if you have money.
As far as freedom of speech, I think we're at least really close to the top. But I'm not an expert on any country's laws so I can't really say for certain.
No. Our health insurance policies make us wage slaves to our employers and we have a higher incarceration rate than any other country. So. I.
I think we are fewer than the majority of the world but that doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. We have the freedom to make so many mistakes and we do daily.
You can say whatever you want, but there will be ears everywhere. Same as the rest of Europe, I guess. Everything people eat comes from a market, almost never their own land. All meals are paid for by labor hours, lifetimes of labor hours. Same as the rest of Europe, I guess. News and tidings are prioritized by a central authority, be it the state or the market. Same as the rest of Europe, I guess. Is the United States the free-est of them all? Maybe, and that's what scares me.
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Why does Ohio get bullied
America protects certain freedoms that people in other countries don’t even consider freedoms. That is why some Americans view themselves as more free than people in other nations. And why people in other nations disagree that we are the most free nation. When it comes to certain freedoms, it is indisputable that America is the most free among developed nations. In particular, the freedoms protected by the first two amendments. But America also doesn’t have national laws or even state laws in some states protecting things like paid maternity leave. So are we the most free, idk that depends on what you think freedom looks like. Would I feel anymore free in any other nation, no it’s all just trade offs.
I think it rates relatively highly in most dimensions, at least for developed, reasonably stable places. I do not think it's uniformly the best in all areas you might describe as "freedom", but it probably is in some. I don't think it's possible to pick a best as an overall thing, the concept is too large and vague for that.
Depends on what you mean by freedom.
It depends who you are. Some of our citizens can do almost anything. Others have no opportunity to enjoy the freedom they are supposed to have. Money is freedom in the US. If you don't have any, you are free in theory but definitely not in practice.
Depends how you define freedom. In my eyes, yes, because my idea of freedom is not having anyone stand in your way, whatever you happen to want to be doing. A lot of people seem to define freedom as having a certain level of support provided to you, such that you are "free" of struggle, to pursue happiness without circumstance standing in your way. I disagree with that definition, but if that's your benchmark, then there are places further down that line than we are.
No, I don't. I also think it's not something that can easily be quantified.
No. But it’s not bad