2007-01-20 11:29:19 · 31 answers · asked by Gary 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
I am 39 years old and was educated in a United States public school. Do you know that it wasn't until I had been out of school for years that I found out other countries on the globe actually had democracy. I myself was brainwashed to believing this country was the best one, we were the only real free ones. I have come to have a better understanding of the realities of the world and I absolutely disagree with the idea Americans are truly free. Conservatism was based on the idea of LESS government. But recently, whenever a conservative occupies office, we have more laws giving more power to the government and more of the freedoms granted in the Bill of Rights trampled on.
2007-01-27 12:18:10 · answer #1 · answered by Lori M 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No they are brainwashed into believing they are free. The media is completely government controlled this is proven by the fact that in the buildup to the Iraq war there were no dissenting voices. ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS all run the same stories every night. With hundreds of world events why do they all with separate staffers are reporters etc come up with the same stories?? Free Press and the second amendment are the only ones that guarantee freedom and really the first one is the most important. With a shrinking middle class the myth persists that anyone with the motivation and a good idea can make it in america thats such a small percentage of people but since the masses believe it... its true.
2007-01-20 11:47:07 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
We are not living completely free if that is what you mean.
Right now the government tells us how to live.
The Government Tells Us:
What kind of shirts we can wear on public transportation.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070122/od_nm/australia_ban_dc
Who's allowed to own a gun.
What kind of guns we can own at home.
When we're allowed to keep guns at our home.
(The National Guard taking guns out of people's homes in New Orleans after Katrina).
Who's allowed to drive a car.
What kind of cars we're allowed to drive (car licensing, DMV inspections),
How fast we can drive, how slow we can drive.
What we can put in our bodies.
The countries we can buy stuff from.
The countries we can go to.
The people we can talk to on the phone privately.
Where we can and cannot pray in public (especially airports - who doesn't say a little prayer before taking off or landing?)
The religion we can practice without being put on a no-fly list.
Who we can marry.
When we're allowed the right of due process.
When we're allowed to have a lawyer.
How much money we have to give them, and if we don't they're going to send people with guns.
There is a law for almost everything. No, we do not know freedom at all.
2007-01-26 13:34:56 · answer #3 · answered by Marcus 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
To an extent. Who are you comparing us to? There are some countries with such little privilege and resources that we might think it inhumane.
However, if you are asking if we know freedom under Bush, my answer is no. You asked, so here is my opinion. Bush is aiming to be the Nixon of this century. I think that he has taken away our sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, for a petty, useless cause. The rights we have left, are the ones guaranteed to us by the Constitution, and even some of those have been revoked. Our conversations are recorded, we can be arrested for saying that Bush is an idiot, or monkey or whatever.
My point is this. I'm not terribly patriotic. You want Patriotism from me? Give me a reason. I pay taxes, I owe nothing more. We have "freedom" in this country, I suppose, and we should be happy to help those who aren't as fortunate.
However, if you expect to listen to me talk to my family on the phone, if you expect to be able to drag an entire country out to war, because of daddy's little fight with Saddam, then DON'T expect to call this country "free", what we called it before Bush came to office, because compared to how it was with Clinton, compared to the U.S's own past, we aren't free, not even close.
This country is free compared to others, but NOT free compared to itself and it's not so distant past. But that should be our goal, if nothing else, beat ourselves at our game, our little competiton between us and ourselves.
2007-01-20 12:35:24 · answer #4 · answered by Sara 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Interesting question!! Though we are led to believe that we are the most free people on Earth, Did you know that right now we Americans have way more laws dictating what we can and cannot do, and how often, and when, and with whose authorization, and if all permits are in order, and if we cross all our t's and dot all our i's ( you get the picture ) than Soviet citizens even at the height of the cold war and Martial law.
2007-01-26 06:18:00 · answer #5 · answered by porhtronranie2 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think they are scared of freedom actually.. in a way I can understand.. Americans benefit from ancient British idealogy.. and thus would know that freedom must be earnt!
If you free everyone up and it isnt properly earnt you end up with society decaying!
Sadly.. I think this phase will serve as history for the future.. because both Britain and USA currently suffer terrible decay.. and it is beyond their control as now even the weather has decayed..
Perhaps we need to listen to the people on earth who live the simplest lives.. even the Arabs.. especially the Arabs actually.. who ahve thrived and survived in a desert for christs sake!! who are we to complain.. they have nothing.. many arabs still use camels and dirt roads..
And yet.. those Arabs KNOW freedom!!
WE don't! We think it comes with a home paid off.. and having a flashy car.. or a good job.. and nice clothing.. and lots of money in the bank..
WE'RE WRONG!!
Subsequently.. most Americans have lost touch with what it means ot be free.. free to find a place in nature to think and be safe.. free to walk the street at night and be safe.. free to drink water from a stream in the woods without risking a disease.. free to eat food that isnt choc full of preservatives and laden with chemicals.. in fact.. for most Americans.. water costs money, everything has a tax on it.. and rent alone can offord a home no better than the Arabs in the desert!
The ultra rich americans.. most of whom have fleeced society.. they know freedom really well though..
2007-01-20 11:41:34 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
no not literally at all
i believe this is good though
the definition of freedom is being able to do whatever you want
people misunderstand our declaration of independence when it says we are a free country
we still are not allowed to do most things, so thus we are not free
what the declaration of independence says is that we are free from the British way of life and FREE to make our own, FREE to make our own laws to govern people.
thus we are not literally free
and again i believe this is good because without laws and governments, the countrymen would go mad and do whatever
pleases them, im glad we are able to maintain order in this country
2007-01-28 09:27:21 · answer #7 · answered by unitedstatesairforce555 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you think freedom is working all your life and giving 1/3
or more of what you earn to the government
to pay for them to do nothing.and to support welfare plans to pay
for others to stay home and suck up your freedom
and people from other countries can come to this one and
live on what you make so when you get old and die and have nothing to show for your life FREEDOM
THEN yes we are FREE
2007-01-25 18:51:18 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
How would they not know freedom if every American citizen has freedom, unless they are in jail?
2007-01-20 11:36:08 · answer #9 · answered by greencoke 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
No we don't! Too many are brainwashed to believe they know what freedom is, and brainwashed to believe that they are free, but some of us do understand what true freedom is and we know that we don't have it! So, if having it, is knowing it, then none of us know freedom, even those of us who do understand what it really means!!!
2007-01-20 12:09:50 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋