CDZ Why do US citizens refer to their country as "free"?

[Donald Polish]

It really offends me when I see young Americans talking about how free their country is. The fact is that most countries in Europe have much more freedom, but I don't see any Europeans talking about freedom so much.
Freedom is to be celebrated, not deteriorated to a pissing contest of who is more free.
Do we really live in a free country?
I am seriously asking. Do not criticize me before thinking about freedom of speech, police brutality and total control over us.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

No, this is not a free country, but a lot of suckers out there think that it is.

 

[emilynghiem]

It's relative.

Financially:

If you are paying closer to 40% tax rate, that means 2/5 of your labor goes directly to govt, and you are only 3/5 free, where you only keep 60% of your income from labor.

But given the fact ANYONE can invest in real estate, deduct expenses 100% from taxes and make more money from income from rentals than the taxes paid out, that's still making more money where the taxes is just another business expense to deduct.

So anyone can retire a multimillionaire this way.

Spiritually:
You can exercise whatever religion you like, and not fear the govt will jail or behead you.
Well, except if you believe in free market health care, refuse to buy insurance, and get penalized by govt. Or if you don't believe in conducting certain services for gay weddings, and end up fined by govt. Except for things like that, you are generally free religiously.

Artistically:
You can say and produce whatever message you like, and generally get away with it.
You are not restricted on the internet as in China, or watched and threatened if you say anything against the Chinese govt.

You can't erect crosses or Nativity scenes on public property without risking a lawsuit.

But you have the freedom to impose gay marriage on other people and call them bigots if they have traditional beliefs.

You can sue and force someone to bake you a cake, if the court rules in your favor.

If you are a Democrat, you can claim to be prochoice, then regulate and penalize free choices of health care you don't agree with; and argue to separate church and state, but then impose your beliefs about homosexuality, and gay marriage on others.

If you are Republican, you can claim religious freedom for Christians, but deny the same to Atheists or Muslims. And you can claim to defend the Constitution, due process, and limited govt with less spending, but then allow the military budget to go unchecked into trillions in debts, and collectively punish Iraqi populations with sanctions and war when they weren't the ones responsible for any support of Al Qaeda or 9/11.
So much for due process for other people, that's just too bad.

So in short Americans have freedom to contradict our own beliefs and abuse govt to push this on others.

We also have freedom of speech, press and right to petition to address these issues and try to correct and formulate solutions together, and then hand those solutions over to our govt officials to work out policies and reforms that represent us.

We have freedom to organize our own Constitutional conventions and party structures, to set up schools and charity or business programs, we could basically rebuild our own cities and economy ourselves with the resources we have.

We have lots of freedom, and nothing is really stopping us. Just our own self-enforced divisions, and unresolved conflicts getting in the way of collaborating on building our own solutions. But even those barriers and deadlocks can be overcome by mediating conflicts using our free speech, press, and access to online media and technology.

We could govern ourselves with the abilities, resources and access we have now.

So that is freedom, whether or not we are using it to its ultimate capacity.

 

[there4eyeM]

It's part of the nationalistic mantra.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

It really offends me when I see young Americans talking about how free their country is. The fact is that most countries in Europe have much more freedom, but I don't see any Europeans talking about freedom so much.
Freedom is to be celebrated, not deteriorated to a pissing contest of who is more free.
Do we really live in a free country?
I am seriously asking. Do not criticize me before thinking about freedom of speech, police brutality and total control over us.

If the notion of freedom isn't a pissing contest, then why have you crafted this post in such a way as to make it so completely obvious that you are indulging in one?

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Relative to other countries the US isn't even in the top 10 of free countries in any metric. And in things like press freedom think we're 45th or so globally, economic freedom below 20th, social freedom you don't even wanna know.

 

[M14 Shooter]

It really offends me when I see young Americans talking about how free their country is. The fact is that most countries in Europe have much more freedom, but I don't see any Europeans talking about freedom so much.
Freedom is to be celebrated, not deteriorated to a pissing contest of who is more free.
Do we really live in a free country?
I am seriously asking. Do not criticize me before thinking about freedom of speech, police brutality and total control over us.

Wow. Talk about lack of perspective.

 

[2aguy]

It really offends me when I see young Americans talking about how free their country is. The fact is that most countries in Europe have much more freedom, but I don't see any Europeans talking about freedom so much.
Freedom is to be celebrated, not deteriorated to a pissing contest of who is more free.
Do we really live in a free country?
I am seriously asking. Do not criticize me before thinking about freedom of speech, police brutality and total control over us.

Police brutality is hyped.....compared to the amount of arrests, the police in this country are professionals.....and of the other issues, one party here does not respect the freedom they inherited from the founding, the democrats, who are the ones pushing for infringements on all of the rights we value....

 

[2aguy]

f you are Republican, you can claim religious freedom for Christians, but deny the same to Atheists or Muslims. And you can claim to defend the Constitution, due process, and limited govt with less spending, but then allow the military budget to go unchecked into trillions in debts, and collectively punish Iraqi populations with sanctions and war when they weren't the ones responsible for any support of Al Qaeda or 9/11.
So much for due process for other people, that's just too bad.

Which muslims have been denied religious freedom? or Atheists? Seems like all we hear about is their complaining. And the military keeps the sea lanes open, keeps all those socialist countries in Europe from being invaded by more aggressive Russia...your welcome by the way..........and when sadaam invaded Kuwait, sanctions were put in place to keep him in check...which Europeans began violating in order to make money off of oil contracts.....and sadaam didn't take care of the people....that's not on us....we gave them a chance when we invaded and deposed their tyrant...they blew it....not us................

So Europe gets a free ride because the United States Military keeps them safe....so they can spend their money on lavish welfare states while we spend our tax dollars on keeping them safe...........

 

[rdean]

Because Republicans think roads, sewers, and government services are free.

 

[M14 Shooter]

Because Republicans think roads, sewers, and government services are free.

Says the mindless partisan bigot.

 

[Muhammed]

It really offends me when I see young Americans talking about how free their country is. The fact is that most countries in Europe have much more freedom, but I don't see any Europeans talking about freedom so much.
Freedom is to be celebrated, not deteriorated to a pissing contest of who is more free.
Do we really live in a free country?
I am seriously asking. Do not criticize me before thinking about freedom of speech, police brutality and total control over us.

Maybe it's because we value things that we don't have more.

 

[charwin95]

It's relative.

Financially:

If you are paying closer to 40% tax rate, that means 2/5 of your labor goes directly to govt, and you are only 3/5 free, where you only keep 60% of your income from labor.

But given the fact ANYONE can invest in real estate, deduct expenses 100% from taxes and make more money from income from rentals than the taxes paid out, that's still making more money where the taxes is just another business expense to deduct.

So anyone can retire a multimillionaire this way.

Spiritually:
You can exercise whatever religion you like, and not fear the govt will jail or behead you.
Well, except if you believe in free market health care, refuse to buy insurance, and get penalized by govt. Or if you don't believe in conducting certain services for gay weddings, and end up fined by govt. Except for things like that, you are generally free religiously.

Artistically:
You can say and produce whatever message you like, and generally get away with it.
You are not restricted on the internet as in China, or watched and threatened if you say anything against the Chinese govt.

You can't erect crosses or Nativity scenes on public property without risking a lawsuit.

But you have the freedom to impose gay marriage on other people and call them bigots if they have traditional beliefs.

You can sue and force someone to bake you a cake, if the court rules in your favor.

If you are a Democrat, you can claim to be prochoice, then regulate and penalize free choices of health care you don't agree with; and argue to separate church and state, but then impose your beliefs about homosexuality, and gay marriage on others.

If you are Republican, you can claim religious freedom for Christians, but deny the same to Atheists or Muslims. And you can claim to defend the Constitution, due process, and limited govt with less spending, but then allow the military budget to go unchecked into trillions in debts, and collectively punish Iraqi populations with sanctions and war when they weren't the ones responsible for any support of Al Qaeda or 9/11.
So much for due process for other people, that's just too bad.

So in short Americans have freedom to contradict our own beliefs and abuse govt to push this on others.

We also have freedom of speech, press and right to petition to address these issues and try to correct and formulate solutions together, and then hand those solutions over to our govt officials to work out policies and reforms that represent us.

We have freedom to organize our own Constitutional conventions and party structures, to set up schools and charity or business programs, we could basically rebuild our own cities and economy ourselves with the resources we have.

We have lots of freedom, and nothing is really stopping us. Just our own self-enforced divisions, and unresolved conflicts getting in the way of collaborating on building our own solutions. But even those barriers and deadlocks can be overcome by mediating conflicts using our free speech, press, and access to online media and technology.

We could govern ourselves with the abilities, resources and access we have now.

So that is freedom, whether or not we are using it to its ultimate capacity.

Admire your translation and definitions of freedom in America. Bravo.
Do we really live free in a country? YES.

 

[charwin95]

Relative to other countries the US isn't even in the top 10 of free countries in any metric. And in things like press freedom think we're 45th or so globally, economic freedom below 20th, social freedom you don't even wanna know.

It will be nice to know how you come up with these numbers. Link.

I was born in La Jolla, Ca but my father kicked me out of this country because of immaturity. Finished my senior high school in Spain where we originally came from. College? spent 8 months to a year in places like Rio, Dusseldorf, Montpellier Fr end up in the Manila for 3 years. Those were the wild years. Fast forward in last 20 years I took a lot vacations to several other countries 3 weeks to 2 months stay here and there.
I can tell you in my own experience. Freedom in this country of USA is the best freedom you can ask in this world. No comparison.
Just want to share my experience about freedom in this country.

 

[Publius1787]

It really offends me when I see young Americans talking about how free their country is. The fact is that most countries in Europe have much more freedom, but I don't see any Europeans talking about freedom so much.
Freedom is to be celebrated, not deteriorated to a pissing contest of who is more free.
Do we really live in a free country?
I am seriously asking. Do not criticize me before thinking about freedom of speech, police brutality and total control over us.

Free has always been a relative term. It's quite easy to make the claim when you can't think of another country that enjoys more freedom. Don't get negative liberty confused with positive liberty by the way. The US and Europe are completely different in this respect. Of course, Europe wouldn't be free at all if it weren't for the US.

 

[oldfart]

It really offends me when I see young Americans talking about how free their country is. The fact is that most countries in Europe have much more freedom, but I don't see any Europeans talking about freedom so much.
Freedom is to be celebrated, not deteriorated to a pissing contest of who is more free.
Do we really live in a free country?
I am seriously asking. Do not criticize me before thinking about freedom of speech, police brutality and total control over us.

Free has always been a relative term. It's quite easy to make the claim when you can't think of another country that enjoys more freedom.

Ignorance is bliss perhaps?

Don't get negative liberty confused with positive liberty by the way. The US and Europe are completely different in this respect. Of course, Europe wouldn't be free at all if it weren't for the US.

We also need to differentiate between aspirational freedom, what our constitutions and laws say; and practical freedoms. For example, all Americans have complete freedom to buy a $250 million yacht. It is not forbidden. Only a few Americans have a practical capacity to do so, for the rest, that right is a chimera. On the other side, Americans have an aspirational and practical right to buy Nazi regalia online which most Europeans do not.

 

[FA_Q2]

It really offends me when I see young Americans talking about how free their country is. The fact is that most countries in Europe have much more freedom, but I don't see any Europeans talking about freedom so much.
Freedom is to be celebrated, not deteriorated to a pissing contest of who is more free.
Do we really live in a free country?
I am seriously asking. Do not criticize me before thinking about freedom of speech, police brutality and total control over us.

It seems that you do not actually understand what freedom is.