The American Freedom?

Question

Do you think we as america have more freedom than all other countries? I would also like to here from people in other countries point of view.

Answer 1

Yes we do. But for how long? Bush and friends are doing their best to erode our civil liberties in order to better consolidate their power and control.

Answer 2

What you are driving at is understandable but the perspective should be a little different.

The Individual freedoms recognized within the United States are not from the Constitution but from Old English Common Law. A source first formalized in Magna Carta but having roots in Celtic culture at least 3,000 years in the past. Not just the United States but other countries such as Canada and Australia have the same roots and the same claims on individual freedoms.

Those countries with such roots do have a significant appreciation of freedoms in the context of the individual. In the United States at the ratification of the Constitution, such rights were assumed to predate the Constitution. The Constitution had no rights to grant to the people or the States. Rather, the Constitution was designed to exclude specific acts from the federal government so as not to infringe on the existing individual rights. Since that ratification it has been a continual contest between the expected expansion of the government (as with any government) into intruding into individual rights.

In the United States, as in other countries, individual rights (since ratification) have been constrained in a number of ways and what was accepted as normal at the time of ratification has altered to support new governmental intrusions. As the Founders understood, this is a never ending battle.

Answer 3

I don´t, and also believe Americans don´t realize how little freedom they have in their country. The incarcerated population in USA is 8 times more important per/capita then communist China. The government is sometimes spying on its own people, there are bills getting passed without even be read... no knowing if these bills content are for the people of for some obscure organization. I try not to overstay when I go to the USA, try not to be seen by the police, and would definitely not be participating in any kind of protest in the states... I lived in the US and left, being badly surprised about how things are different then my country. I am from Canada.

By the way, I really like the american people, but it just seem your government, police and law systems have nothing to do with freedom.

Answer 4

Yes, we have more absolute constitutional freedoms than any other country. Just simple facts, other countries may have us beat on some individual point, but not over all. Anyone who say's different is not a student of government.

All in all though it really doesn't matter, most European countries and Canada are as free as they need to be.

Answer 5

Freedom gives liberals the right not to take care of their personal hygiene.

Answer 6

Without a doubt. Any country that has the right to call it's leaders names is without a doubt, a very free country. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Answer 7

Firstly, its not a competition to see who is 'free-est'... But from a Canadian's point of view, I would say that America is as free as it needs to be and should be. You may feel oppressed by a government that doesn't listen to its citizens, but that is a result of the people voting him in.

How much freer would you like to be?

Answer 8

Yes. But the seat belt law is a little troublesome.