Is the United States a Free Country? Why or Why Not?

Question

Is the United States a free country? Why or why not? Please say if you live in the US or not in your post, because it might be revealing.

I want to first gauge how people feel about their own liberties n this country, and also gauge how other people in the world perceive our liberties.

Answer 1

First off - I am an American and love the US but not politically. The US is not free; we're being taxed to death yet people don't realize it because the only thing we ever really focus on is income tax and sales tax, forgetting about all of the hidden taxes i.e. luxury tax, gas guzzler tax, gas tax (yes - about 37% of every Dollar we pay at the pump is tax, all the different taxes in our phone, cellphone, and utility bills, property tax, capital gains tax, just to mention a few. There are thousands of different taxes that we pay. In communist countries they steal your property and in the US they either tax us out of our property by making it unaffordable or they slap an eminent domain suit on us to get you out - just because a developer comes along, wanting our land - resulting in bigger tax profits to the government. We Americans need a license and or permit for just about EVERYTHING. We cannot have an alcoholic beverage in public without being arrested and labeled a criminal. Our government lies - yet when the likes of Martha Stewart do the same they get thrown in jail. The US government wrote the book on "Big Government"; they have a grip on every citizen, knowing everything about us, from our incomes to sources of income to spending habits. They know everything leaving us with no privacy. In business there are so many rules and restrictions, in addition to the taxes, no wonder so many of them fail. I wish our govenment were like Hong Kong's administration which is truly free by comparison. Last time I was there I bought a beer from an ice cream vendor - and no - I did not get arrested for drinking it in public, and the ice cream vendor did not need a liquor license - and no - the result of such freedoms are not "drunks all over the place"! Hong Kong is the freest economy in the world and as a result it is also very prosperous. Here are some points we can learn from:

- Economy built on free enterprise, free trade, free market open to all
- No barriers to trade - no tariffs, no quotas, no exceptions
- No restrictions on investments, inward or outward
- Ratio of trade in goods to GDP was 251% in 2002
- Ratio of total trade in goods and services to GDP was 295% in 2002
- No foreign exchange controls
- No capital gains tax
- No sales tax
- Flat tax system - only 16% of your income no matter how much you make. 17% for corporations after deductions
- Taxes are only due on moneys earned in Hong Kong, so no double taxation
- No eminent domain
- No property tax
- Hong Kong’s market largely sets wages
and prices - not the government
- Foreign investment is strongly encouraged. There are no limits to foreign ownership and no screening or special approval procedures to set up a foreign firm. The only exception is broadcasting, where foreign entities may own no more than 49 percent of the local stations. The Hong Kong dollar is freely convertible. There are no controls or requirements on current transfers, purchase of real estate, access to foreign exchange, or repatriation of profits.
- Hong Kong is a global financial center with an innovative and efficient financial system. The regulatory and legal environment is non-intrusive, focused on prudent minimum standards and transparency. Banks are overseen by the independent Hong Kong Monetary Authority. Credit is allocated on market terms to all investors. There are no restrictions on foreign banks, which are treated the same as domestic institutions. The stock exchange ranks ninth in the world in terms of capitalization.
- Inflation in Hong Kong is low, averaging 0.4 percent between 2003 and 2005.
- etc. etc. etc......

Answer 2

It sounds like your mom is proud to be an American. It depends on what you mean by free. We are free in the sense that as a people we have the power to change our government at a whim. If the president does something wrong any citizen can try to get them impeached. Also if there is something that citizens think should be a law they can create a campaign for the bill and present it to their elected officials to get it to the proper channels as well. Where as places like the UK the government has more power. For an example the government banned all guns in the UK to cut back on crime. We have the 2nd Amendment and if people want to ban guns they would have to work hard but it could be done. That is why we are free because of the rights our country has and the flexibility of our current government and constitution. If you are talking about freedom such as slaves or sweatshops then we are not the only free country who have child protection laws or the illegality of slavery. Another point of freedom we have is that to be considered as a Citizen in this country you have to be born here or be naturalized (I think that is what it is called). Some developed countries want you to serve in the military for a certain time or something before you can become a citizen and gain rights. America is the one place that declares inalienable rights (like life, liberty, and the per suit of happiness) that can not be take away from you even if you are a citizen where as if you are in another country you might be denied one or more of those. Hope this helps you understand.

Answer 3

The founders of this country explained it best. Freedom will only work with a moral, God fearing, well educated people. Freedom comes with responsibilities. If people are considerate of others and can restrain their own urges, if people can control themselves there is no need for the government to control them. But if people cannot control themselves, cannot accept responsibility, then someone else will control them.

So we see that the founders realized that a complete lack of restrictions or consequences results in chaos and disaster. It was their belief that we were able to control ourselves and enjoy our freedom. These days, unfortunately, most Americans seem to be experts on their rights but seldom recognize the responsibilities that accompany them.

Example: A small town has no noise ordinance. Occasionally, there will be a party or two that carry on until the wee hours but never on a work or school night.

A new family moves into town. They blast loud music every night until at least two in the morning. On many weekends they have loud drunken parties until dawn.

Now the town has a noise ordinance. As a result, everyones rights have been restricted, why? Because some people were unwilling to set their own limits at a point that accommodates their neighbors needs, no one can make noise after 10 o'clock. A measure of freedom is now lost.

.

Answer 4

There are freedoms in the United States that are not available to people in their own nations. But, there are also freedoms in other countries that are not granted by the USA to their own citizens.

Until there are equal rights for all and the gap between rich and poor is brought closer together, no country can truly claim to be a Free Country.

I'm not American.

Answer 5

In theory, yes it is free. I'd also rather live here than anywhere else because I love the USA.

Unfortunately racism, sexism, grossly unequal economic and educational polarization and stereotypes still dictate much of American culture and psyche and it will take our country many more years (even decades) to evolve and embrace each other as equals and open a realistically-even eceonomical and societal playing field. When this happens, the US will truly be a free country.

Answer 6

Depends on your definition of "Free". Because we have become such a Sensitive nation, being politically correct, using race or financial status (or lack thereof) as an excuse for bad behavior, then we are not free.

When people no matter race, religion, gender, etc., start behaving responsibly, standing on their own two feet, then we become a Free Nation again.

Answer 7

I live in the USA and yes we are a free country we allow people to speak their minds even when what is on their minds is immoral or wrong. We allow people to do many things that are irrehencible and I feel these people should be shot for. But we are not a lawless society and we do have boundries on the freedoms we attempt to minimize cruelty to other living things (people and animals). These limitations on us allow us to stay grounded and not become and Anachial society where we are allowed to run around and kill people for joy.

Answer 8

Little Hitler has been doing a hell of a job taking our freedoms away from us since November 2008. It used to be a free country.

Answer 9

Absolutely not. I don't live there but it is so controlled by who you are and how you are : popular, nerd, whatever, being free is about being yourself - that does NOT happen in America.

Answer 10

Freedom isn't free, The coin flips.
(Did your Q Worked leave out the word,"don't"