In the US, every aspect of life is rigidly compartmentalized. There, the notion "there is a time and place for everything" is religiously followed in the US. Anything that transgresses these rigid compartmentalizations is deemed weird and inappropriate, or even condemned. There is little room for spontaneity, wildness, or having a free flowing nature. Hence, the question of how "free" America really is becomes an issue.
In fact, unknown to most Americans, there are many ways that the US is less free than other countries. Take the following examples.
- If you festively dance out on public streets, even in your own neighborhood, you are seen as a weird freak. But such would be normal and encouraged in Latin America.
- If you lie nude on a public beach, it is illegal and you could be arrested. But doing so is normal and nice in France, for instance.
- If you walk on the street drinking a bottle of beer, that is illegal and you will be cited if caught by law enforcement. But such is legal and allowed in most countries.
- If you flirt or "hit on" with female coworkers in work environments, you are subject to disciplinary action or dismissal. There is a taboo against dating coworkers in US workplace environments for some reason, which isn’t so in the rest of the world, where in fact it is usually encouraged.
- If you try to meet, approach, or "pick up" new girls in public, it is considered inappropriate and out of line unless you are in a bar or nightclub setting. But in most countries of the world, such a normal male behavior is not a vilified crime, and in fact the females are flattered and amused by such behavior.
- In the US, you don't have the freedom to see a doctor without insurance, whereas in other countries you do, as health care is affordable or free.
- In many states of the US, hitchhiking is illegal, which is very ridiculous. I don't know of any other country where that is so, probably few if any. (Perhaps its the US's way of penalizing those who refuse to be corporate drones?)
- In the US, you can't go into the wildnerness or countryside and build a home without buying the land or getting a permit. In many other countries, you can do that.
- In much of the states, it is also illegal to camp in non-official campgrounds. You are only technically allowed to camp in designated pay campsites. Not so in most of the world.
Etc.
Here are a few more that someone else added to my list above:
- In America you cannot take a leak against even some remote wall as you will be arrested if seen. In many countries you can.
- Japan has vending machines selling shots of hard liquor. Just like coffee machines. You just pop some money in and the machine pours out a few hundred grams of local whisky into a glass provided by it. Right on the street corner. That would be illegal in the US.
- In many countries you can just bring water skis to the city beach and the boat can come, pick you up and you just take off. In the US, crowds of angry people will gather and curse you.
- In the US you cannot fish without a license even in a small pond on college campus. In many countries no one would pay attention to things like that.
- A Dutchman who is used to being able to buy marijuana at any time, will feel that the US is very repressive when it comes to such things.
- A Kenyan may not criticise his president openly but he can have twelve wives and build a village for his one husband- twelve wife family. In the US, he will be jailed for poligamy-a separate sentence for each wife above one.
True there are freedoms in the US, but they are strictly limited, controlled, and regulated. And yes, under the first amendment, you are free to say you hate the President and the government and not worry about getting imprisoned for it. And I am free to write a booklet like this too, without fear of being arrested. But even those freedoms could melt away someday, for flag burning is being considered for being illegal. As we all know, those in power like to exercise control to stay in power, which is human nature. They only need to maintain the illusion of freedom in this country, to keep the working classes happily enslaved.
But freedom my a**. Rather than being free-spirited, lively and uninhibited like Europe, America is rigid, stiff, closed, and stuck-up in comparison. But of course, you're not supposed to say or think things like that. No way! You're supposed to think and say that America is the land of freedom and opportunity for all! And that everywhere else is worse or inferior. That's what the powers of the US imperial empire WANT and NEED you to think, so that you will work like a happy corporate slave to serve their interests, giving them the best years of your life, promising you the reward of freedom from working ONLY AFTER you retire. (The next section will elaborate more on this.)
So you see, the US is not the freest nation in the world, does not have all the advantages, nor is it the best in every way, as its pro dists proclaim and its citizens think. However, to be fair, one benefit of America, as a reader put it, is that:
“However, one good thing about America is that while it does not actively teach people to be such "rebels" it allows for that information to exist and you can freely access it at libraries and on the web. So, being brainwashed in the US is a matter of choice, too. You may not follow the mainstream but no one is politically forcing you to do so. You can also leave America any time you want. Other countries may not allow their citizens to leave as freely, plus they will have hard time getting visas to go anywhere as well.�
And my cultural consultant emphasized in his advice guide the relative tradeoffs of the types of freedoms each nation provides:
http://forum.internationalliving.com/vi ... .php?t=491
“No place in the world is completely free, however many countries like to advertise themselves as free.
As you travel you will see that usually countries that are not free politically seem to be free on a grass-root level.
Freedoms of people to do business without special permits, to make love and show affection for each other are often in inverse proportion to the political freedoms. Many societies where one is free to practice all kinds of politics and say anything one wants are often regulated on the grass-root level with too many rules and ordinances to control the daily lives of people. So, one country is free in one area but unfree in another and some other country is vice-versa.�
, but there were cool .. haha
