Why do Americans always associate War with Freedom?

Question

Because of my occupation, I consider the world to be my home. One thing I hear over and over again by Americans or on American media is how war has given Americans their freedom.

I have lived in many places on this globe and have found that those countries who are not proactive in war generally have just as much freedom. America is not the only free country and a country doesn't necessarily have to engage in war to be free.

Answer 1

I guess that would have to be because the British did not want to let the colonies create their own government. To do so, they had to fight the British. Because of that war, they were able to create one of the first democracy of that time.

What I am saying is that, even though I do not think Americans necessarily associate war with freedom, they recognize that sometime war is necessary to get freedom.

Answer 2

Most Americans don't necessarily associate War with Freedom. I certainly don't. But we do recognize that we must be willing and able to defend our nation against aggression if necessary. This goes back to our Revolutionary War against Britain when we fought for Freedom, and it goes back to WWII, when we fought with other nations of the world to defend freedom. To a lesser extent, it explains why we are in Afghanistan, because we felt that we were under attack from an unknown force that threatened our freedom.

I don't think most people associate the Iraq war with fighting for our freedom, but we do believe that freeing people from Saddam was a good thing. What I don't understand is why we're still there. We got Saddam. What now? What are we trying to accomplish?

But I don't get why you think Americans associate war with freedom. I mean, you know that it's all a press relations gimmick, don't you? We've got a group of neo-cons in the White House who don't really have much support in our own country anymore, so they're trying to sell the people on the idea that we're still fighting for something worthwhile. The Fox network is pretty much behind that line of thinking. But aside from those two sources, I haven't heard anyone talking about war being connected with freedom today. I think you're exaggerating.

Answer 3

Why do people who are not Americans or who "consider the world to be their home" assume that they can ask such a ridiculous question that makes such gross generalizations about Americans? I am an American and I have NEVER associated war with freedom. Some of the assumptions and postulations made by people here about Americans come from a point of ignorance or self righteousness that range from comical to downright insulting. Unless you know what all Americans ALWAYS think, I suggest that you limit your questions to the Americans you DO know. Nobody likes to be stereotyped. As you, a citizen of the world should know, that is the rankest form of prejudice.

LOL. Seems as if the author of the question just went down the line and entered a thumbs down on everyone who didnt agree with him!

Answer 4

I suppose you would have to start with the Revolutionary War, and then the War of 1812. In both cases, Americans engaged in war against a seemingly oppressive force in order to safeguard their freedoms. War literally built the US. America's first war was an agent of freedom.

More recently, some of the American elite has built on this framework, and claimed that extremist Muslims wish to rule the US because their religion is antithetical to freedom. 9-11 is held to be proof of their goals, and quotes by various extremists (some taken out of context, some not) are held to be proof of motives. Those who are convinced that attacking other nations is an act of self-preservation will again naturally tie war with freedom, war being freedom's safeguard.

America has never really lost a war. Pragmatism forced the US out of Vietnam, but that does not compare with European wars, which have caused not just protesting or a depressed economy, but complete and utter ruin. How can Americans and Europeans view war in the same way? In WW2, America helped safeguard freedom for (Western) Europe and catapulted itself to superpower status. But for the European? In WW2, much of the continent was demolished. An entire generation of people was killed. Genocide was attempted.

The more dovish attitudes of Europe are the results of the destruction war has brought to Europe. The more hawkish attitudes of Americans are the results of the freedom and power war has brought to America.

Answer 5

As an American, I do not (personally) associate war with freedom. I cherish freedom and recognize that it was obtained via 'war' in our past. I also stand behind the principal that it is worth fighting for, should it become necessary. That does not in my mind equate war with freedom. Freedom is certainly something worthy of defending at the tragic cost of war if necessary, but I do not adhere to the the notion that Americans equate one with the other. (Perhaps some of our current 'leaders' do, but that is obviously not a true reflection of the populist opinion on the subject.)Please don't take my word for it, just look to the current opinion polls! Blessings...

Answer 6

Your kidding right? Were do you here only Americans associate war with Freedom. What country has not had war?
Your just getting sweeped up by the media hype these years is it America next it will be ______ (fill in the space)

Answer 7

First several countries owe their freedom to the US! If it were not for the US Htlr would have controlled Europe for many dacades past 1945. His appointed heirs would probably still control Europe. What I need to ask is why do Europeans try to push their idiotic ideas on the US? No one in the US says Europe cannot spend billions of Euros on global warming which does not exist while their population lives in substandard conditions. That is ok with me! Just don't push your ideas on to the rest of society! You idea that the US just loves war is crazy. We seem to get stuck going to war to protect the world and the world with a few exceptions seems to be ungrateful. We should send France a bill for their share of the cost of Iraq!!

Answer 8

Freedom from what? I guess it's freedom to elect idiots back into the White House term after term, when they should never have been there in the first place. Look what their "so called" freedom has done for the stability of the world today.
:(

Answer 9

I think Americans associate freedom with war because we earned out freedom from England through war. We have also had to defend our freedom form several countries through war.

Answer 10

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