There are no free societies; There is always law. There is always power. The sooner people grow up, get over their childish selfishness, where the world must revolve exclusively around their wants and their needs, the better off everyone will be.

I'm sorry but this whole post sounds like an 18 year old (or younger) kid that's mad because he can't go to a bar, get drunk, and stay out after curfew. With a reference to the TSA and Patriot Act as filler.

You can buy a guy (which you can in most places) that's a good point for freedom.

I'll let my cousin know. She's been looking for a guy for a while.

/TOA

I have lost any notion of what this freedom thing is all about.

I used to talk about it like what we had in America and others don't.... then I moved to another country (rumoured to be a socialist government where there is no freedom) and found out that I had been totally and completely LIED TO in my own country. I came around here arrogantly talking about how "in MY country we're FREE, not like YOU guys" and ended up looking like the worlds biggest fool.

Only in maybe Somalia, where there is no government and everyone is free to kill, steal, and rip off their neighbor to live, do you have real freedom. And I don't see that as very attractive.

I do not know what the freedoms are we are supposed to be so proud of.

The specific topics I personally come into contact with is that of socialized medical care, because I live in France, so people bring it up with me. There are these myths......State owned hospitals and doctors that are state employees, with such low budgets the care is dangerously bad, you have to wait for months to see a doctor, or get an operation (if you can get it at all). That is a lie. This country's medical care has been rated the highest quality in the world, and the hospitals are private, the doctors are private practioners, they have competition amongst them, and we are FREE TO CHOOSE which doctor or hopsital we go to.

_ that is the point I was trying to get at.... at home in the US my family can only go to the hospitals and doctors their insurance allows, and even then, they have to pay a large amount before their coverage even kicks in. So they tell you where you can and cannot go- and you pay.

Where's their freedom? I guess what they mean is that they are free of the government telling them what to do, but the big corporations, on the other hand, are their masters??

I just don't trust what my american education and government says anymore. I found out too many lies. The friggin' one about the french hating americans??? TOTAL lie! Never happened! I never met a french person who hated america!

I can't see how america is more free than the uk? Unless im missing something

What is up with that drinking age anyways? I mean, people want to change it but its like we never got around to it. Well I guess a drinking age isn't all that bad and is the one of the lest of my worries when it comes to the violation of freedoms. Patriot act and TSA, hopefully a passing fad with the government. As for the curfews? eh I'm now an adult according to the law so curfews I couldn't care about, damn kids should be running around anyways!! Plus I never grew up with them, my town had like 3 cops.

Anyways the point I should be making is that this county was once free, and maybe can be again someday.

You judge your freedoms on how late you can go out and get a beer and at what age.

If that's the case, perhaps you should move to Germany.

We used to be able to go out in NC very late and get a beer....and we still can... no curfew in my old college town, nor in Raleigh, Durham, or Chapel Hill or Greenville.

As for the age limit, had young people shown more responsibilty in drinking, drinking and driving, and generally in raising hell... perhaps the drinking age would have stayed at 18. Unfortunately for drinkers after the age limits... accidents and DWI arrests went down, only validating the argument for drinking age limits.

As for the TSA preboarding searches... I have been through them... on purpose going to Mexico and back... wanted to see what the controversy was... I was dissappointed at how simple, easy, effective, and nonintrusive the search was... no big deal. The group I was with was more frustrated trying to find the rest rooms an parking.... really. And it was reassurring to know the guy sitting in front of me had been equally searched and the flight went on without incident.

Freedom...despite the general views here. I do eat what I want, when I want, where I want, and withut limit. I can work where I want...if hired... in a city I want... live where I want...say what I want... dress as I want... I do have dress code at work but knew that when I signed on...I can raise my own food...not in city... and practice my faith, vote, go on vacation or work as hard, as often, or as little as I want...buy what I want, read what I want..I even painted a big ol' protest sign on the back of my truck... no one has cut my tires and no cops have stopped me.. in fact a few folks have honked the horn and given me a thumbs up.... I own firearms... several Bibles, a copy of the Koran, The Book of Morman, have read parts of the Torah, a book by Karl Marx, Mein Kampf, and have a copy of the US Constitution in my truck...

There are laws in place to actually protect stupid people... like Do NOT light matches at the gas pumps... Do not jaywalk across busy streets and highways... Do not speed above 35 at this very sharp curve

There are rules I don't like... Can't fly a US flag in some housing developements...in the HOA rules... but it was in the contract when you moved there...so buyer beware...

But generally, I am free. Anarchy does not equivocate freedom. Mass chaos and mob rule and people doing whatever the hell they want does not equal being free.

I believe Winston Churchill said it best... " Democracy is one of the worst forms of government, but it is the best that we have come up with so far."

It seems to me that the people saying their country is the most free, have not left their country to see other countries. They most prop know almost zero about other countries and just think that other countries are like prisons.

Its sad but that the way the world is. Like i said before, please tell me how america is more free than the uk?

I have lived in two different countries, so I am always doing compare and contrast in my mind. I love so many things about my native soil which is the USA, but I also love the home of my soul,Germany. They both have negatives and positives and in some ways Germany is more free in other ways the USA is more free......I agree that no country is 100% free, overall in the big picture I'd say most western nations are more or less the same when it comes to freedoms.

Here is the flip side of the drinking age being 21 in the USA, I use this as a great example often.......

Amis (Americans) can drink with 21 but drive with 16

Germans drink with 16 but drive with 18.

Which way is better? It just depends on how you see it. I say Americans have to drive with 16 because the public transportation in the US is terrible.

Germans allow teens to get over the thrill drinking before they hand them the keys, which is in my mind smarter, but then again Germans have much better access to transportation than us "Amis"!!!