Does America really have more freedom than other places?

[Temprano26]

When I came back from Costa Rica, I remember being back home for six months and having all the joy sucked dry from me. I came from a culture of happy, spirited people that enjoyed their lives to the fullest to this culture of bores that work and consume without any interest in other people. Most people were so shitty to me that I was angry all the time. I told this to my grandmother how angry I felt at this country and she said "this is the best country in the world. We have more freedoms than any place else". Of course she is 80 years old and it is too late for her to change her mind about anything so it was impossible to have a discussion with her about how I really felt. This is how I felt about most people in America - that nobody listened to me with intent to understand how I felt but with intention to judge. She left me with this bullshit advice about "you are only as happy as you want to be".

So what about America's freedoms? Even the word "freedom" is so trite that I am tired of hearing it. I never felt free in the US like I did in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica people recognized my worth as a human being and I could be myself naturally. They never made me feel I wasn't good enough unlike the US where we are conditioned to be unfulfilled perpetually.

[SilverEnergy]

We've been over this a million times in this forum.

As far as social interactions go, America isn't free.

But as far as the ability to change economic class through social mobility, yes it is free.

Bottom line is that America is a place to MAKE MONEY, not a place with natural social interactions.

It is what it is, we can discuss this a billion times.

If you don't make a ton of money in America and you're a man, then it's pretty much over for you.

For a man, social interactions are mostly based on how much money you make in America.

Either go overseas for these "natural social interactions" or learn how to become a bad boy or wealthy/rich to fit in America.

Me personally, I don't find the idea of making a lot of money in America as repulsive as many people do.

It is what it is, when you have the economic freedom, then it makes it that much easier to travel around the world.

No one knows about the benefits of traveling than the wealthy and rich.

I can't change it, it is what it is.

If one can't stand living in America, there's always the option of moving overseas indefinitely.

[Someone]

Not the case that America has more freedoms than other places, it's actually the opposite.

Laws pertaining to alcohol, sex, prostitution are much more severe than just about anywhere else outside the Muslim Middle East.

These are some examples of the restrictive, draconian American laws which don't exist in other countries:
- Highest drinking age in the world, 21
- Can't drink in public
- Prostitution is illegal and prosecuted
- Porn is illegal in some states, believe it or not. Can't show nudity on TV.
- Teenagers who have sex can be imprisoned if, for example, the guy is 20 and the girl 16 or 17
- "Last call" laws that prohibit alcohol sales after 1 or 2am.

[Taco]

The more numerous the laws, the more corrupt the country is. America has more laws than any country on earth. Laws are a limitation on human behavior and do not create freedom, they just make everyone working in the legal system wealthy. You can't do anything in the US without breaking a law that's why your happier living abroad.

[tre]

It's going to take me sinking nearly every dime that I make over the next 2 months just to pay my taxes to the IRS on lousy income that I made this year. Much of that "income" was used to pay the IRS on taxes that they believe I owe from YEARS ago through Audit. It would be easier to just give up and become legally disabled in America. So many people on welfare are rewarded for not even trying, while some of use struggle and work hard while the government RAPES us through their legalized Mafia (IRS). America is such a demotivating place to live. I hate this place more and more every year. How can any free-thinking American think that they are TRULY free? While we suffer at home trying to make ends meet, they are blowing OUR money and OUR future to kill innocent people abroad. They sell us poisons in order to make their Elitist friends more wealthy. They use the Federal Reserve to fleece of our savings through inflation....I could go on and on. Free...cmon now, wake up!

[dreamer82]

Not the case that America has more freedoms than other places, it's actually the opposite.

Laws pertaining to alcohol, sex, p4p are much more severe than just about anywhere else outside the Muslim Middle East.

These are some examples of the restrictive, draconian American laws which don't exist in other countries:
- Highest drinking age in the world, 21
- Can't drink in public
- p4p is illegal and prosecuted
- p**n is illegal in some states, believe it or not. Can't show nudity on TV.
- Teenagers who have sex can be imprisoned if, for example, the guy is 20 and the girl 16 or 17
- "Last call" laws that prohibit alcohol sales after 1 or 2am.

My Dad always said, "Bad laws make bad people".

[sushiman]

Yup, and having bad people requires more bad laws. It's circular and just goes on and on, tightening down on the masses, and them going crazy and acting up, and tightening down on them more. Americans are idiots and have no idea how to rule a country.

It's a police state now, best to wise up and get out.

[Cornfed]

So what about America's freedoms? Even the word "freedom" is so trite that I am tired of hearing it. I never felt free in the US like I did in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica people recognized my worth as a human being and I could be myself naturally. They never made me feel I wasn't good enough unlike the US where we are conditioned to be unfulfilled perpetually.

Of course Amerika is vastly less free than most countries. To take one of a thousand examples, suppose you want to buy a dog. In most places you would go to someone selling dogs, hand over some money and walk away with your dog. The end. You would not require a license and a permit and a shot card and a microchip and be bound by various leash laws etc. Such requirements could only be enforced in an extremely communistic society populated by ridiculously docile maggots. Suppose you were living in some communal village in Cambodia and your rich uncle in Long Beach died and left you a trust fund paying $1000 a month. Then you would effectively have more freedom than the poorest ~95% of Americans could ever dream of. I don't know how Americans still cling to this delusion of being free.

[zboy1]

LOL, to the OP thread!

Here in China, besides the Chinese government's stupidity in blocking Facebook and YouTube, and the other silly and bureaucratic things that get on my nerves in this country, I actually feel freer in China than I do in the 'Police-States-of America.'

I know that may sound crazy, but I really do feel that way. It's not a joke either; I can't explain it, but...I don't feel like China's government's is on my ass all-the-time (unlike the U.S. government!), nor do I feel like the police is always in my 'business' like it is in the States. It's a much more live-and-let-live place than the United States, in my opinion.

Sure, there's limited freedom of speech and protest, but...besides that...you can pretty much do anything you want here, as along as you're not criticizing the government. Even vices like Prostitution is much more accepted here, than in the puritanical (and hypocritical) U.S. of Gay...

[Cornfed]

LOL, to the OP thread!

Here in China, besides the Chinese government's stupidity in blocking Facebook and YouTube, and the other silly and bureaucratic things that get on my nerves in this country, I actually feel freer in China than I do in the 'Police-States-of America.'

You get a subconscious feel for places. In China I got the feeling that the pigs will leave you to your own devices unless you commit some major crime, in which case they will come down on you like a tonne of bricks. That is how it should be. In the West it seems that police state oppression smothers everything like some giant wet blanket. It wasn't always this way.

[Teal Lantern]

Of course Amerika is vastly less free than most countries. To take one of a thousand examples, suppose you want to buy a dog. In most places you would go to someone selling dogs, hand over some money and walk away with your dog. The end. You would not require a license and a permit and a shot card and a microchip and be bound by various leash laws etc.

Childhood memories, there. Often the puppies were free.

[Mr Natural]

In China I got the feeling that the pigs will leave you to your own devices unless you commit some major crime, in which case they will come down on you like a tonne of bricks.

That's pretty much the feeling I have had when there. There is no overwhelming govt presence as you might think, and as long as you basically behave yourself you won't have any contact with them. But still, even though you don't see them much you know they are right around the corner if you get out of line.

[Winston]

LOL, to the OP thread!

Here in China, besides the Chinese government's stupidity in blocking Facebook and YouTube, and the other silly and bureaucratic things that get on my nerves in this country, I actually feel freer in China than I do in the 'Police-States-of America.'

I know that may sound crazy, but I really do feel that way. It's not a joke either; I can't explain it, but...I don't feel like China's government's is on my a** all-the-time (unlike the U.S. government!), nor do I feel like the police is always in my 'business' like it is in the States. It's a much more live-and-let-live place than the United States, in my opinion.

Sure, there's limited freedom of speech and protest, but...besides that...you can pretty much do anything you want here, as along as you're not criticizing the government. Even vices like Prostitution is much more accepted here, than in the puritanical (and hypocritical) U.S. of Gay...

I agree. I don't experience any police state or loss of freedom here in China. The police never bother me. The only time a security guard bothered me was to tell me not to sit somewhere I wasn't supposed to. But he did it in a polite non-confrontational way. So I don't see what all the talk about China being unfree was all about.

What about the march for democracy in China on Tianmen Square in 1989 where that protestor stood in front of that tank that the US media raved about? What was that all about? The US media sure loved that story.

It seems that the US is so powerful that it controls propaganda all around the world. It's even gotten most people in Asia to think that America is a very open place. I've never understood why nearly everyone in Asia thinks America is so open? Bizarre. How can a lie and false idea be that prevalent? America must have more power than anyone ever imagined to make everyone believe a lie. Scary. Dang.

What's depressing about America is that so many people quote rules and laws as though they have nothing else to live for except to be anal retentive about the many regulations in America that you are supposed to conform to. Have you noticed that? It creates a depressing vibe when people do that, but so many people, especially those who work in government offices, seem to derive some sick joy in being anal retentive about quoting rules and regulations and get off on it. They act as if there was no purpose in life in America other than to strictly observe all laws and rules. And they act as if there is something wrong with you if you don't love obeying every little rule in America. It's one of the most depressing things to see. Don't you hate that? Have any of you noticed this too and felt the same way?

[Taco]

[Wolfeye]

I notice that there's a weird view of "equality" with laws. It's like it's all lumped-together & somehow "irradiated" by the more serious stuff. Murder & speeding are equally illegal, but are different things with different severities. This doesn't seem to sink in mentally all the way. Sure, someone will see them as different & not say that they are the same action- but it has the same level of persecutory alignment, like there's the same complete loss of "points" as if someone did something that actually was severe. I think that, with some people, there is an inability to see the law enforcement community as wrong for anything that's sanctioned or not claimed as a wrongdoing & any retaliation by the law enforcement community gets seen as perfectly fine. So it could be anything & it just happens to be whatever it is. Death penalty for underage drinking? Fine. Life in prison for driving with expired plates? Fine. Being locked-up at all for not looking scared enough of a cop? Sure.