How come Americans claim to be so "FREE", what makes them any more free than most western countrie's

Question

Alot of people are saying i should visit and see for myself. My father lives there i have visited over 30 times, and lived there for over two years of my life.

What i saw was a society very much opressed by class. Oh yeah and one where you have to pay to get medical help. Oh yeah and get away with crime, if your rich.

Answer 1

The idea of the 'land of the free' has been drilled into Americans all their lives. It's part of the national anthem. It runs through American veins.
The government and media have done an amazing job of making the majority of Americans believe that it is the free-est country in the world. And this has the knock-on effect of making some of them believe that the rest of civilization has a long way to come.

Someone made the point of 'free speech'. Now the last time I was in America, all news casting was amazingly one-sided. On talk shows where they were supposed to be 'debating', whenever a 'liberal' said anything, she was shouted down with "we don't want to hear it! You're boring. Boring..." And this was a respectable talk show host!

The comedians can always take the p*ss out of the government. That's always been acceptable, and in fact the staple, of comedy in all western societies, but when celebrities speak out, they're berated! And they feel they MUST speak out because they don't believe their argument gets a fair say. Yes, in the US you can say what you like, but what you say greatly influences how much air time you get.

And who was it that said the US always fought for freedom? This suggests that they are in some way selfless in their military actions. The US has only ever fought for American self-interest. They fight because they want to secure foreign resources, or want to stop a certain swing of power that might in the future be bad for them, or just to say 'Don't defy us!'. And in the case of the Second World War, I do wish they wouldn't keep saying "We saved your asses! If it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking German"
In a sense, it is true, but the US joined the war really in the final stages and they didn't join to come to the aid of the Allies necessarily, they joined because they were attacked by the Japanese and because Germany and Austria/Hungary DECLARED WAR on them.

If the people continue to believe they live in the greatest country in the world, it makes it all the more easier for them to roll over, turn a blind eye, or support whatever it is their government says or does.

America doesn't answer to anybody. It doesn't answer to international law. It twists the constitution. It rewrites the laws of acceptability with every military excursion. Bush has made blatantly obvious what always has really been true of the history American foreign policy.
So, in a sense, the US ARE the free-est country in the world.

Answer 2

It's bull man. Were just rich..we can afford to be nice. Look at what happens when you actually piss us off.(nagasaki, Hiroshima, American Indians, Iraq..etc.etc.)

It's completely true that decades ago we had a more freedom than anyone else unless your talking about an African-American. Things have changed now. Our morals are gone. Our people don't even know what America is. Our extreme form of capitalism has eroded our moral republicanism. Im not a communist( Im a baptist) but our corparations and there interest our destroying our moral fiber by creating a false alliance with what left of our churches and their members promising wealth, power, and safety if we bend our constitutions to there will. It really fing sucks.
Actually..... our Jefferson was so right trying to explain just how dangerous that the Federalist could be.

Answer 3

I haven't heard anyone to be claiming to be any more free than any other western country. Be more specific with your claims. Growing up during the cold war we were taught how lucky we were to be American and have freedom but this was in comparison to USSR and Eastern block countries, i.e., the Berlin wall, the "Iron Curtain". Never did anyone claim that a western Europe country not enjoy freedom or have less freedom than we have. Besides, no one is free. Can you walk away from your job tomorrow and do whatever you want for the rest of your life?

Answer 4

A free press, the ability to sue just about anybody, and freedom of speech. Jay Leno makes fun of the president every night. In other nations the Secret Service of that country might harm or kill a comedian for making fun of the president, but make it look like they got into a car wreck or some accident. So, that's why the US is so free. To allow the press to expose whatever it can shows that the government has nothing to hide.

Answer 5

"A free press, the ability to sue just about anybody, and freedom of speech. Jay Leno makes fun of the president every night. In other nations the Secret Service of that country might harm or kill a comedian ... So, that's why the US is so free. To allow the press to expose whatever it can shows that the government has nothing to hide"

Erm, you can get that here in Ireland too, you do realise?

and

".. make it look like they got into a car wreck or some accident"

Didn't the Americans invent the whole "face down in a swimming pool" style 'accidental' death of people?? :-/

Answer 6

We have a Constitution that specifically says what the government is allowed to do; and anything else, it is NOT allowed to do. That same document very clearly protects the rights of the People so that they cannot be violated by the government.

In the U.S., the government exists to please and serve the people. In many (most) other places, the people are considered, by the government, to exist to please and serve the government. ***-backward, in other words.

Look at how many countries prohibit their citizens from owning guns! There is no clearer way for a government to say to its people, "You are under our power; we will never let you have the upper hand over the government; the government is in control of your life, and it does not trust you with power."


-Jeffrey

Answer 7

they opress countries in the whole of central and south america so that americans can use them for anything they wish,their idea of freedom is to keep others under their control which makes them look free,an example is those people in guantanamo bay have been there for years and not been charged,some democracy 'huh'.castro has got the better of them though.

Answer 8

WEALTH obtained through following ways:

Islamic countries have oil. Big transnational companies need oil so they bribe some western governments to produce lame excuses and terrorize the western public so that they can steal away oil, just like in Iraq.

Answer 9

All those cowboy films where a 'man's gotta do' etc. All those war films where the marines/navy/USAF saved the situation have made them believe they are the good guys. Unfortunately, because they feel they'so right and wonderful, they also feel entitled to bomb, meddle and exploit the rest of humanity to preserve their uniquely brilliant way of life.
They preach democracy to the rest of the world but to get elected in the States takes $millions.

Answer 10

It is right of you to put "free" in quotes. I do not believe any person would feel free if his ot her telephone calls and emails are tapped. That is what the National Security Agency is doing to the American people. Ask any American how they feel when they learn their private mail and life have been monitored.