In actuality, America is one of the least free countries in the world, compared to most other countries. Yet Americans are brainwashed to believe that they live in "the land of the free" without reason or basis. Since the media and everyone else around them repeat this like a programmed mantra, they assume it must be true so they just repeat it to go along.
It's like a religion. But it's based on the faulty premise that all other countries are unfree and all under some kind of dictatorship, while America is the only country that remains free, which is totally UNTRUE. It's just a form of mind control designed to pacify the sheeple and human cattle with false ideas to keep them motivated to go to work and be productive.
However, with the US government and power elite taking away more America's freedoms since 9/11, and undermining the US Constitution, I don't think most Americans believe anymore that America is a free country. So nowadays, on the 4th of July, they just use it as a holiday to have fun and light fireworks. So this myth of America being "the land of the free" is way outdated now. But people still chant it to be cool and fit in, and the corporate media still propagates it of course, because their job is to promote the mind control of the establishment. So perhaps I'm beating a dead horse with this article.
However, I still want to write this because there are many more reasons why America is not a free country, besides tyranny of government (which is what the alternative media focuses on), that is not discussed in either the mainstream media, alternative media or the conspiracy movement. And I want to elaborate on them here. So most of this will be new to most people that are not familiar with my work on HappierAbroad.com.
So let's begin. Here are good logical reasons why America is not "the land of the free", but is in fact one of the most unfree countries:
1. America has the highest number of laws in the world. More laws = more restrictions and controls = LESS freedom. Simple logic. Everything is over-regulated in America. Too much regulation takes away freedoms. In contrast, Mexico has one of the fewest number of laws. Ask any Mexican immigrant, and they will tell you that Mexico is way freer than America. No other country has as many laws as America does.
Now, I know some of the laws are supposed to be there to protect people, but they've gone way into overkill. Other countries are able to maintain safety without so many laws. So why can't the US? Too much overcontrol is not a good thing. Many laws are there just to tax people and allow government to stick its nose where it doesn't belong, such as in the affairs of private families and businesses. Moreover, too much government control or state planning has never been good for economic growth, as history has shown.
2. The size of the US government has increased in size by 20 times since the dawn of the 20th Century. The size of the government has grown like a huge monster out of control. Unfortunately, governments don't like to decrease in size because politicians don't want to lose money. That's why the founding fathers of America emphasized that government should be small and limited with minimal powers.
What the US government, media and American historians don't like to tell you, is that when the Roman Empire officially fell in 476 AD, many Roman citizens were glad because at that time, the Roman government had grown to a monstrous size and was overtaxing and overcontrolling everyone, and they got sick of it. The US government is doing the same thing now, but they don't want you to know that because it's not to their advantage.
The ideal size of government was the way it was during the 1800's, when the US government was a small size and did not bother people much. It had a very Laissez Faire type of approach, which allowed people a lot more freedoms and economic growth. With small government came little need for taxes. Thus there was no income tax and no inflation. In fact, the value of the dollar remained stable throughout the 1800's and by the end of the century actually had risen in value, thus technically resulting in deflation.
Back then, immigrants could come to America without any passports, visas or immigration customs to deal with. They'd just get off the ship and go where they want afterward. Now that was the kind of government that Thomas Jefferson and the founding fathers had in mind, which was nothing like the huge Orwellian type of government that we have today.
3. The US has one of the highest costs of living in the world. Compared to the other 200 countries, the US is definitely in the top tier when it comes to expensive costs of living. Prices and costs are way too high and so is inflation. In the 20th century, the US dollar lost 95 percent of its value. In contrast, during the 1800's there was no inflation and the dollar was worth more at the end of the 1800's than at the beginning.
Higher cost of living means that one has to work more and be a slave to their job more, with LESS free time to do what they want. There's not even time for personal growth. What's the point of living when all you do is work to make a living? What's there to live for? It's pointless. You are just a slave hamster on a treadmill. Being a debt slave is not living freely.
As we all know, money can buy freedom, if one has enough of it. Thus, a higher cost of living means that people have LESS capability to "buy their freedom" since their money is worth less.
This insane rising cost of living in the US is most likely deliberately planned. Here's why: The US is known to have the biggest gap between rich and poor. So it is in the interest of the wealthy elite class to keep the poor in America poor, so they do not rise up and become too competitive, which would undermine the monopolies of the upper class and drive prices down. This inhibits the "freedom" of upward mobility in America.
This would also explain the deliberate dumbing down of America in the public education system, which insider whistleblowers such as Charlotte Iserbyt have revealed. As Jordan Maxwell said, "What the government pays for, it gets. Logic will tell you that if the government didn't get what it wanted, it would change things." ("Matrix of Power" and "Zeitgeist") But of course, the public is not told about such things. They are merely part of a system of mass social engineering behind the scenes, one of their techniques in "human livestock management" so to speak.
Also, the government needs to maintain a poor class or else no one would enlist in the US armed forces. If you do the research, you will find that most people join the US military out of economic need, not for patriotism or a desire to "serve one's country". What's ironic is that the US publicly promotes that it's trying to defend freedom abroad, while not being able to provide freedom at home.
So you see, even what freedoms you have in America are being slowly undermined behind the scenes, without the public's knowledge or approval.
4. America has the highest prison population in the world. Currently, there are 2 million people incarcerated in American prisons. 2 million! That's crazy. No other country has anywhere near that amount in prison. Only in a dysfunctional, insane, crazy, toxic, repressed society would that many people be in prison. How can the alleged "freest country in the world" also have the biggest prison population as well?! That's a huge oxymoron that doesn't make sense! Obviously there is a chasm of difference between what America says and what it is.
5. US social culture is way too politically correct, which greatly reduces your ability to speak freely and honestly. It's a restriction on free speech. From what I heard, back in the 1970's, there was no political correctness. People were free to be as honest as they wanted, so they could speak their mind freely and from the heart.
Even if someone has something negative to say, honesty is always better than suppression and repression. So America has become a lot LESS free since the 70's in terms of free speech and freedom to be yourself. In other countries where there is less political correctness, one feels a lot freer. I know I did, and so did many others I know.
The overbearing political correctness in modern America, coupled with the high level of fear and paranoia in people, makes America a very socially unhealthy and repressed culture and people.
But political correctness is not there to help protect people though. It's there as a first stage in controlling the masses. You see, once you restrict free speech in the name of "cultural sensitivity", it then becomes easier to take away other freedoms and put in more control. To take away freedom, you do it in small steps, so that each subsequent step becomes easier for people to take. That's how the ruling elite impose their will when its unpopular, by doing it gradually in increments. They've always done it this way.
Americans are not taught to see such things. Instead, they are taught to celebrate their pseudo-freedoms on the 4th of July and believe that people in the military are "serving our country" and all that hogwash, etc.
6. American social culture is fake, artificial, phony and toxic, which doesn't allow you to be your true self. Starting from high school, teenagers learn to act very phony and artificial, like posers. They have to do so in order to be cool and have friends. Otherwise, they will become misfits and social outcasts. If you are authentic and down-to-earth, you will be seen as introverted and lacking in social skills, when in reality, you just don't like acting fake and artificial. It's very upside down.
This is how the typical American fake personality forms. Children are born with genuine personalities. But beginning in high school, they are gradually molded into the fake social persona that is required to fit into American social culture. This carries on into adulthood. Only older folks and senior citizens can afford to be down-to-earth again, because at their age, they no longer are trying to conform or fit in. Plus the seniors of today come from a generation when Americans were more down-to-earth than today.
The social culture is also very toxic in that it undermines your self-esteem and tries to tear you down, making you feel insecure and inadequate. Deep down, no one feels accepted for themselves in America. They always feel like they aren't good enough and have to prove themselves. So they overcompensate by acting tough, arrogant, cocky, bragging a lot, bullshitting a lot, and developing big egos. In contrast, when you go abroad, you will notice that people are far more modest and humble, and do not have to act that way. This can only mean that foreigners come from social cultures that are NOT as toxic and do not tear down their self-esteem the way that America does.
I don't know if you've noticed this, but the way Americans act, even when they're being friendly, seems very artificial, superficial, and hollow. If you've never left America, you might not notice it much. But once you spend more time abroad, where people tend to act more down-to-earth and genuine, you will then realize how phony Americans really act.
Also, if you are a deep thinker or have a deep soul, you will notice it as well, because phoniness is a deep thinker's pet peeve. They can see through it with the eyes of a hawk. In fact, people who are deep thinkers tend not to like America, because American culture is predicated on a great deal of fakeness, phoniness, hype, lies and illusion, not truth. Instead, they tend to prefer Europe, where the cultures are more conducive to being intellectual, philosophical and genuine, and the people tend to be more down-to-earth and authentic.
The consequence of this is that when you develop a fake artificial social personality in America in order to fit in and be accepted, it separates you from your true authentic self, which becomes suppressed in the process. As a result of this psychological schism between your fake social self and your true authentic self, you experience a deep inner fragmentation, which in turn leads to mental imbalance and inner conflict. This, I believe, is the primary cause of many forms of mental disorders in America. And it's why you see so many crazy messed up people in America, and depressed degenerates everywhere (especially in urban areas).
In addition, Americans are raised to believe in many contradictory things, which screws them up psychologically. For example, they are taught that they are "free individuals in a free country" yet they are also taught that they must conform to society and adopt all its strict rules, laws and boundaries. And at work, they are required to conform to their work culture and become subservient slaves to their jobs. To give another example: Many Americans are raised with good Christian values but then in the adult world, they are taught that "profit is king" and that "greed is good". Like two muscles that become damaged when they rub against each other, their minds become damaged by such conflicting beliefs.
Anyway, the reason why this makes American unfree is this: If you have to develop an artificial phony social personality to conform to American social culture, then you are disallowed from expressing your true authentic self. In other words, you are not allowed to be yourself in America, at least not your real genuine self. You see, being free to "be yourself" is the true definition of freedom, while having to be something you're not is a psychological prison. Thus America takes away your freedom to be yourself, which is the highest expression of freedom.
This is why many American travelers and expats feel that when they go abroad to foreign cultures, which are more down-to-earth and authentic, they feel much more free, because they are free to be themselves again. They are free to reunite with their authentic self again, which was suppressed in America. As a result, they experience a feeling of liberation that they've never felt in America. And they realize that America was a "psychological prison" all along. As a result, when they return to the US, they experience "reverse culture shock", because once they come back, they are faced with imprisonment again by the phony toxic American social culture.
7. The social vibe in America is permeated with high levels of fear and paranoia, creating segregation between people, and making the country socially unfree. America also feels very socially unfree in that there is this high level of fear and paranoia between people, even between neighbors, which creates social separation. You can feel it in the social vibe and energy of most places, which does not feel positive at all. There is this unnatural fear of strangers, and this ice wall between strangers. People seem cold and distant. Out in public, people don't talk to strangers unless it's business-related. Communication is strictly for business only. There is no feeling of social or human connection at all. And no camaraderie between people. Instead, the atmosphere is one of cold isolation, which easily leads to loneliness.
You also get this sense that people don't like other people, and prefer to get away from others. It's very antisocial and uptight, to say the least. And it rubs off on you too. The only smiles you get are from customer service people, who fake their plastic smiles to you as part of their job. Socially speaking, you feel "shut out" from other people, unless you have a good social network, which is not easy to get and requires a great deal of fakery and conformity to attain.
The thing is, humans are not meant to be solitary creatures. We are meant to be interdependent, have friendships and social connection with others. It is an integral part of our happiness. Yet this is greatly inhibited in America, as explained above. And America falsely teaches that one should not need others, but be independent from others. Needless to say, trying to make friends in America is one of the hardest things. What this means is that America is very socially unfree in that you do not have the freedom to socially connect with others.
What's worse, American families and friendships seem to lack any feeling of closeness, especially compared to Asian and Hispanic families which are much more close-knit and remain so for life. White American families seem more like a clique of friends, than a real close-knit family, and do not remain close throughout life. It's hard to explain, but around American families I get this feeling of superficiality and hollowness, which feels very empty. Maybe it's because I have a deep soul and am different from them.
You're not even allowed to flirt in America anymore. Flirtation is seen as creepy, inappropriate and taboo in modern America. However, flirtation was normal, cool and acceptable in America prior to the mid 1980's. (and in most foreign countries today, it still is) But after that, it somehow became a bad creepy thing. People who grew up during the 70's and 80's know this, but no one dares to talk about this or has an explanation for why that is. In modern America, you are not even supposed to have desires to flirt. If you do, you are considered a creep, a pervert and a bad person. Perhaps that's why no one dares to talk about it. It's a taboo. This is way too uptight, unnatural and no fun.
8. People in modern America seem repressed, robotic and zombie-like, like they have no soul and are not alive. Perhaps this is why zombie movies and video games are so popular nowadays, because Americans identify with the zombies because they've become like zombies themselves. It's likely part of the elite's agenda to pacify people and dumb them down with mindless entertainment and distractions. People seem numb, like they are just going through the motions with no feeling or passion. It's like they are not human or alive anymore. What this means is that you are not "free to be alive" in America. lol
But it wasn't like that long ago though. Americans were more human and natural in the past. I talked to people who grew up in the 60's, 70's and 80's and they agree that people in America changed greatly. With each decade, Americans gradually became cold, soulless, guarded, unfriendly, unsocial, hateful, jeering, spoiled, standoffish, cynical, snobby, and began to dislike others. All of a sudden there was no longer a sense of closeness between family and friends. It was like a "wave of energy" swooped across the nation and changed people, but a few people like me were immune to it for some reason and remained unchanged.
The sci fi movie "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" in 1978, where people were replaced by alien clones with no feeling or emotion, seems to have already happened in America. Perhaps that film was a foreshadowing, either deliberately or as a message from higher forces above.
Of course, if you are a cold, unfeeling, soulless person yourself, you may not see anything wrong with this nor will you suffer from it. It's only when you are soulful, passionate, romantic and full of feeling (like I am) that you suffer and feel out of place by this.
Also, if you've never left America, you may assume that being cold, distant and disconnected from others is normal. But once you start traveling or living in foreign countries, where there is natural inherent social and human connection, you realize that that is not normal at all, and that America has somehow become very socially dysfunctional. Instead of the natural social connection that most other cultures have, America's social atmosphere is permeated by intense fear and paranoia. That's not a good or healthy thing at all, and it rubs off on you eventually, even if you're not like that.
The good news is that you can still find people who are open, social, expressive, passionate and uninhibited today in other countries such as Russia, parts of Europe and Asia, and most of Latin America. But the stupid media never tell you this though. All they care about are politics, economics and wars, which is so boring, pointless and does not fulfill one's soul or provide any romance, passion or social connection.
Conclusion
So you see, the notion that "America is the land of the free" is baseless and unwarranted. It's just a religious myth that's repeated over and over again in US media, education and culture, until people assume it is true. It's a form of cult-like brainwashing on a national scale. And it's kind of creepy how effective it is, like something from the Twilight Zone.
In reality, there is a huge chasm of difference between what America is and what is claims to be. And more and more people around the world, and even in America, are beginning to realize that.
For America to be the freest country, or one of the freest, every other country would have to be an extreme dictatorship like North Korea. However, most countries are nothing like that, but are in fact a lot freer than America in many ways, such as in the ways outlined above.
But America tries to trick people into thinking that all other foreign countries are like North Korea, the Middle East, or Nazi Germany. It's a classic false generalization comparison, the kind that advertisers typically use when they take the worst examples from their competitors and try to portray it as representative of their all competitors in general to try to make them look bad. It's a major fallacy and brainwashing tactic.
Since 9/11, when the US government began acting like a tyrant and control freak, more and more people have begun to realize that America is not a free country anymore. So most likely, most Americans do not still hold the myth that "America is the land of the free" anymore, at least not since 9/11. So the reasons I gave above, though not well publicized, only add fuel to the fire, and that's a good thing I think. More truth can only be better, and serve as a forward step to change (if it's going to happen that is).
In my opinion, based on #6 above, the biggest loss of freedom in America is not from the high number of laws or high cost of living. It is from not having the freedom to BE YOURSELF. But of course, it depends on what "yourself" is. If you are a workaholic with no soul or feeling, and like being distant and isolated from others, then yeah you can be yourself in America I suppose. But if you are passionate, adventurous, uninhibited, flirtatious, romantic, full of feeling, and thrive on closeness and human connection with others, then no, you cannot be yourself in America.
The simplest definition of freedom is: "The ability to do what you want with minimal control and restrictions from outside agencies and people." So it depends on what you want to be "free" to do. For example, if you want to be a debt slave and work in a soulless corporation that treats you like a resource, then yeah I guess you are "free in America". Otherwise, you are not.
This is why America tends to define freedom as "freedom to work" which presupposes that everyone "lives to work" and is happy to be an economic resource (hence the term "human resource") and slave to the system. It's not true of course, since in Europe, people are said to "work to live, not live to work" and many people in America feel the same way.
But that's the American assumption. And the reason for it is that the ruling elite in America see the masses as cattle or human livestock, whose main purpose is to PRODUCE, just like livestock on a farm are. Hence, society is merely a form of "sophisticated human farming". The "farmers" collect taxes from us just like they collect milk from cows, or meat from livestock. This is why they need to program you with the "live to work" mentality and define your freedom for you, as "freedom to work".
Conspiracy talk show hosts like Alex Jones, will tell you that the answer to all this is to stay in America and raise awareness (by bitching on a radio show all day as he does) in order to fight the NWO (New World Order). But that's futile and pointless and does not bring happiness to people. I have a much better and more obvious solution though, which is to simply: GET OUT OF AMERICA! That's it. It's simple, obvious and makes sense. After all, if you are on a sinking ship, the best thing to do is GET OFF the ship, not stay on it. Duh. I don't know why most people assume that such a solution or option doesn't even exist. It must be the result of years of brainwashing with the notion that "everyone wants to come to America, no one wants to leave it".
Trust me, if you are an authentic person, you will be happier overseas. Just find a country that that is healthier, saner, freer and more authentic, where people are more genuine and down-to-earth, where cost of living is cheaper, and where food is healthier and more natural. There are many foreign cultures with real culture, soul and passion, that a repressed person in America can be happier in. Just do the research. I've experienced and lived it, and so have many others.
To learn more, visit my website and forum and Happier Abroad.
Also listen to my audio recording: 5 Major Benefits of Leaving America for a Better Life Abroad.
And check out my groundbreaking article: 5 Ways Your Life Will Be Transformed Abroad - The Greatest Self-Help Secret
I hope I've given you something to consider on this 4th of July holiday weekend. Thanks for reading. Have a great holiday.
See Also:
Debunking the Myth of Freedom and Democracy in America
Americans do not celebrate their freedoms on July 4th, they celebrate their independence. That is, Independence Day has nothing to do with (to use one of your examples) the freedom to flirt, it has to do with achieving nationhood after being colonized -- having nothing to do with whether or not we have squandered the opportunity, or lost democratic control to some small group. To offer a second opinion to just one of the many interesting ideas you offer here, I think you will find that the 19th century did not enjoy "no inflation." but in fact suffered bouts of wild inflation, bank failures, financial panics, etc., until some of the laws that you despise were enacted to ensure relative stability. In my opinion, more freedom is lost by one law forbidding criticism of the government (e.g. Saudi Arabia) than by 1000 laws meant to protect the banking system from thieves and speculators.
ReplyDeleteI disagree Stephen. You are missing the plot. The US media does consider the 4th of July to be a day to celebrate "our freedoms". They say so on TV and on the radio. Don't you know? Americans themselves know that they are losing their freedom, so they probably know that they are not the land of the free anymore. But the notion is still part of media programming, which serves the elite.
DeleteNo, there was no inflation in the 19th Century. The dollar at the end of that century was worth more than at the beginning of it. You are mixing up the 19th Century with the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913. The Feds have admitted that they engineered the Great Depression in order to centralize their control over the US economy. Watch the film "Zeitgeist".
I disagree with your last point. Allowing criticism of government is pointless. It only leads to people rambling endlessly like Alex Jones, with no solution. You can criticize government all you want, as long as you don't do anything. It's just words and harmless to the elite. What good is that?
There are many forms of freedom. Freedom is basically being able to do what you want with minimal external control. I'm sure we all agree on that. The biggest loss of freedom though, is not being free to be yourself within a fake artificial phony social culture. See my point #6 above that I just added, where I elaborate on that. Thanks.
Stephen, how are we independent? China makes 95%of our goods, we owe China trillions in debt, German scientists created our space program, we depend on Russia to send our astronauts to the moon, Chevrolet is now made in Canada and mexico, our copper mines are now owned by the Chinese! American citizens own less land than the federal government. so again I ask, what the hell are you talking about? How are we independent?
DeleteStephen, how are we independent? China makes 95%of our goods, we owe China trillions in debt, German scientists created our space program, we depend on Russia to send our astronauts to the moon, Chevrolet is now made in Canada and mexico, our copper mines are now owned by the Chinese! American citizens own less land than the federal government. so again I ask, what the hell are you talking about? How are we independent?
DeleteWhy is everyone talking about the 1900s? I know available facts from both arguments, however why believe any of them. How about what's right in your face everyday.... Right now...not a free country now. Yes history repeats itself. But I don't need evidence from the 1900s to see that. Go outside and look around.
DeleteDoit Toit, I specifically wrote that the USA is *politically* independent (not a colony or possession of another country), and that we are not un-connected to other countries by way of our freely deciding to connect via trade, treaties, the UN, etc. China does not make 95% of our goods, but even if they did, Americans buy Chinese goods voluntarily (notice all the Trump bumper stickers in the Walmart parking lot) and American businesses have freely chosen to do deals with foreign companies and countries, aided by tax and trade laws freely voted for by our Congress. Vorador Hylden, of course USA citizens in 2017 are less free in some respects than people were in the 19th century (excepting slaves and women). Are you saying this is true only of the US and not other countries? Several of the comments in this thread seem to ignore the lack of freedom in other countries, and I wish those commenters would name the countries they consider significantly freer (not just taxed less, but freer). What countries would you offer?
DeleteOn 19th-century economics: I think my point remains valid, that regardless of the value relationship of a 1801 dollar and a 1900 dollar (I'll take your word for that), the century was marked by periodic economic upheavals and crises: terrific inflation during the civil war, bank failures, stock market crashes, several panics, "the long depression," etc. Some families and businesses were ruined, and they probably would not have been consoled to learn that the averages would be OK by 1899. However much we might distrust big government, Roosevelt's 1930s reforms brought some stability to our economy (before modern politicians began dismantling the regulations). Time Magazine named Roosevelt "the man of the [20th] century" because, they wrote, he saved capitalism by ending the depression (which he arguably did by 1936) before an angry populace did something radical. Can we agree that regulating banking and finance is sometimes necessary, while regulating personal liberties probably is not?
ReplyDeleteStephen,
DeleteAlthough WWu's article is right on in many respects, you are 100% correct about the devastating economic gyrations of the 19th century in the US. As the current anti-government movement continues to dismantle the economic protections (including restrictions and limits on banking practices, etc.) created during the Depression, we will see more debacles like the massive financial meltdown early in this century.
It's obvious that government, in many cases, is simply a system for farming the citizens. It's less obvious that nowadays big business, in many cases, is also a system for farming the consumer. "Productivity" really means delivering inferior products and services for the same price (thus increasing corporate profits). Is it really more "productive" to have 8 flight attendants on a transpacific flight that formerly had 10 or 12? No, it is not. For the flight attendants, it is either more work or doing an inferior job (due to being hurried). For the passengers, it is worse service. But for the corporation, it is cutting labor cost per mile. "Increased productivity."
The same is true in all parts of the economy.
Actually Stephen, you're missing something big here. During the 1800's, America grew like wildfire and its economy was in boom like no other society in history ever had. In just 100 years, America had grown to become the most PROSPEROUS nation in the world and in world history. No other nation had ever achieved that. It was totally unprecedented. That's why by 1900, the American people were at the highest point in terms of optimism and happiness. The economy was in boom, and people expected a future utopia in America and the world. See this 3 hour PBS documentary called "America 1900" which explains the state of affairs in America and the world during the year 1900. It's on YouTube. Here are the links to see it.
DeleteParts 1 and 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkdSUoynhcM
Parts 3 and 4:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IlTyNujHUU
Stephen,
DeleteHere is a list of freedoms in the 1800's that we don't have today:
- Did you know that back in the 1800's there were no passports and no visas? You could travel abroad by ship, or come to America by ship, and get off and then do what you wanted. Customs was much simpler and easier.
- The government was very small and did not bother anyone most of the time. Today the government is like a giant monster in comparison.
- There was no income tax and no inflation.
- The value of the dollar was steady and in fact was worth more at the end of the 19th century than at the beginning.
- Doctors would give you naturopathic and herbal remedies. No big pharma dominated the medical profession.
- You could buy a house in America for 200 or 300 dollars. So even with your salary now, you could have bought a house in America during the 1800s! Incredible huh?!
- You could go to Washington DC and knock on the front door of the white house and ask to meet the President of the United States.
- Before schools became ran by the state in the 1870's, children went to private schools so they could learn useful skills and trades that the parents wanted. Either that, or they were home schooled. The parents could choose the courses their children took. They were not forced to take useless courses like in state run schools. Also, there were no teachers unions to prevent teachers from getting fired for doing a bad job like there is today, so if a teacher sucked, he/she would get fired and replaced with a better one. So the private schools had quality control over the teachers. As a result, education was much higher quality.
There was so much more freedom during the 1800s compared to now. America was much more wild and free back then, even though it was more dangerous, wild and lawless as well. Very interesting huh?
The government and media today don't want you to know all this. They don't want you to know that your country used to be a lot more free, because their job is to keep you producing and not complaining. Government and media today are mere forms of "human livestock management".
For more information, see the video by Stefan Molyneux called "The Death of the West" on YouTube.
This article is well written, yet rather depressing. It is truly sad how the political class are turning the U.S. into their own personal fiefdom. I frankly don't know if we will ever be able to get our freedoms back.
DeleteWWu777, my reading of history books and your YouTube watching give different perspectives. I do not know how you can say (i.e. know) that in 1900 Americans were at the peak of happiness and optimism, expecting a utopia. If you are speaking only about wealthy and upper middle class white men, maybe, but do not forget that the excesses of the industrial revolution and Gilded Age jungle capitalism created an exploited working class, whose discontent made many Americans fear future chaos caused by socialists and anarchists, and fear disease and crime from immigrants (the yellow menace, swarthy Italians, etc.). The South was in social turmoil, not bliss. Enough Native Americans had been killed, I admit, for them to seem no longer a threat. Some women began to wonder why they could not vote or be free to handle their own finances. Early conservationists were alarmed at rapacious mining, oil and timber operations. Catholics, Jews and Mormons, and probably others, felt disenfranchised and kept from some professions, neighborhoods, and public office. Add all that up, and you do not get a picture of a happy and optimistic, homogeneous population.
DeleteFrom someone in my Facebook group:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/happierabroad2/permalink/791449164241514/
It's ironic that America claims to be the "land of the free" when in reality it's one of the least free countries in the world. I've definitely noticed this on my first two HA adventures, and Winston is right on the money about this.
I've actually had more freedom in Mexico than in the U.S. The social culture and dating scene flow much more naturally, and I can be myself and easily fit in. Mexico has fewer laws, and the cost of living is significantly lower compared to the U.S.
Fine and dandy to say that Mexico has fewer laws, so is "more free."
ReplyDeleteFact is, hordes of Mexicans are trying to get out of Mexico and into the US. So there evidently is something wrong with the simplistic observation about relative freedoms. If you ever get into trouble in Mexico, you'll find out real fast who has the freedom: the police, lawyers and judges have the freedom to rob you blind, extort every last penny from you, and abuse you physically until you wish you were dead.
One reason, perhaps, that the US might have more laws than, say, European countries (if that is actually a fact), is that a higher percentage of Americans are childish, spoiled, self-centered rectal orfices who refuse to exercise any sort of self-restraint or consideration for those around them. Like nasty children, they need to be controlled. That is the real reason why Japan and many European countries are so appealing.
Only the bad parts like Tijuana but not the good parts like Cancun, Acapulco, Puerto Vallerta, etc. and the reason they come here is because we funded those Drug Cartels there. The ATF mostly. And the police, lawyers and judges here in the US can do those things to you as well. And the reason we do have all these laws is so the state can have more control over the populace and to continue to generate revenue.
DeleteKawika first of all you are saying police are bad and second of all children are not automatically born "nasty" like you seen to think.
DeleteLMAO what a joke article. I read #1 and then stopped lol. Mexico more "freer" than America? Is that why the cartals rule? Is that why guns are illegal in Mexico? Lol
ReplyDeleteLMAO LMAO LMAO
ReplyDeleteAMERICAN ISNT LAND OF THE FREE
YET YOU DON'T ALLOW FREE SPEECH POSTS? LMAO LMAO LMAO LMAO
Clearly a dipshit wrote this article.
Good article.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately (unless I missed it) you forgot one important point.
ReplyDeleteAmericans are not free to leave the country.
They never were since the civil war when a tax code to punish draft dodgers was written. Up until recently, this was widely dealt with by simply being ignored.
No more.
Obama signed the HIRE act in 2010 and contained within was FATCA, the Foreign Tax Compliance Act. In effect, the whole world has been bullied in to reporting the presence of any "US person" in their country under threat of having their banking sector closed by the USA, a clear abuse of the trust placed in the USA under the Bretton Woods agreement.
Without getting in to the HUGE range of difficulties that an American abroad faces while trying to comply with both the USA tax code and that of his adopted nation, suffice to say that it makes a normal financial life completely impossible while also facing double taxation, not to mention the great expense (you WILL need an accountant)and the ever present threat of life destroying fines for so much as a simple mistake with no tax evaded.
The result has been that renunciations have risen from a couple of hundred in 2008 to an expected 6000 plus in 2016. The response of the "land of the free"?
They have MASSIVELY increased the barriers to leaving, including increased tax reports requirements that can cost tens of thousands in themselves, exit taxation, an increase in the basic consular fee of 400 percent to the highest in the world, payment of all fines for failure to report in the past that can amount to hundreds of thousands of Dollars even if no tax was evaded plus payment of all (illegitimate!) taxes owed.
Owe, and if they think you are leaving for tax reasons, they can simply refuse to accept your renunciation.
How many Americans have a CLUE that this is going on?
JimBo, first of all, your vocabulary, grammar, and way of writing proves this article's point. And second, you stopped reading after #1 because you thought it was a joke, or you stopped reading because you're lazy, close-minded, and can't stand reading anything negative about America? I can also assume you've never traveled abroad. Also, Stephen does say in here (several times) that it's his opinion. Well, you would notice this if only you have read the entire article.
ReplyDeletewell i rather think you're all fools, and i think the op is quite childish and egocentric, making far too many generalizations about americans, mostly projecting his own feelings onto the nation.
ReplyDeletebut i do see the point in it. there is truth to this. the culture of america is indeed one of greed and averice, or rather, of a having mode of being, as erich fromm put it. i highly recommend his book "to have or to be?", it's a very good read.
i feel very much the same way, though with some differing details. i too hope to leave america, I'd like to live in japan one day.
You are not free to leave the USA any more. Americans are the property of the US government and although some chose to ignore that fact and lived in peace in other nations, frequently as citizens of those nations, Obama fixed all that when he signed the HIRE act, and FATCA contained within in 2010.Preach freedom to any US expat trying to lead his life in peace outside of US borders, and you might just get spat at.
DeleteI completely disagree with this entire article. I couldn't keep myself from not refuting these false claims. Are you a United States citizen? American freedom is terrific and we have the ability to do whatever we want when we want.
ReplyDeleteLol. No you can't. I don't know what planet you're living on.
DeleteYou completely disagree yet can provide no example of a freedom that you have that say, a Brit, does not? No, the right to bear arms is not a good example. We would counter claim that we have a right to a low murder rate with few people shot. You also do not refute my earlier post where I show how you are not even free to leave the country, a clear breach of your basic human rights under the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights. So tell me about these marvellous and special freedoms, so special you really can't stop preaching freedom to the rest of the world. Form our perspective, your behaviour is comical.
DeleteWhy don't we just go fire them? Start all over again... Why is that hard to do? That guy doesn't do his job right..... What happens, you get fired..... Well we are the ones who pay them...were they're boss...so lets go fire them..... ALL OF THEM!
DeleteYou are so black and white.
ReplyDeleteYou are so black and white.
ReplyDeleteAmerica fell victim to the PC monster. People get fired over Tweets, are steered for diversity, and companies force moral views on employees telling them what is right and wrong (in particular to LGBT rights). We are NOT free. The First Ammendment was obliterated in the 90s under Clinton #1. Get ready for Clinton #2. Bush was no better. We have lost ALL rights to privacy and even dignity at the airport due to the Patriot Act. We are all suspected terrorists in the new agenda.
ReplyDeleteThough many blind Jingoists and such will refuse to accept it and make every excuse in the book. I've heard it so many times that it makes my head hurt. I'm hoping to pay that $100 and get TSA approved so I don't have to go through all of the hoops and travel with dignity. Really, we have a right to travel whether by plane, car, train, feet, bicycle, motorcycle, etc. without being molested by whoever. But sadly many Americans today are such paranoid pussies who need to head over to a Planned Parenthood clinic and get sterilized.
DeleteHere's more that makes America not only less free, but even look like a military police state, especially for singles.
ReplyDelete- You can no longer ride single anymore on certain carnival rides, especially the highly popular Zipper. All because the evil Chance Rides Inc fabricated a monstrous lie that even grown men riding single on the Zipper can and will turn a full 90 degrees sideways and slip out of the lap bar. Though they refurbished the Zipper with new restraints, they easily fabricated another anti-single riders lie, most likely even the heinous lie that single riders would create an imbalance that would cause catastrophic mechanical failure and total collapse of the entire ride.
- Police officers in America, especially in the southern states, are telling adults to not talk to strangers, to "pretend like you're in New York" and such. Like they really may as well just say; "Interactions with strangers is a capital felony under Federal law in the United States that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 100 years to life in prison without parole for all involved. We don't know what you do in your home country, but in America, it absolutely does not fly."
- More and more school students nationwide are getting detentions and even out of school suspensions for hugging their classmates.
I was born and raise in Europe and was totally surprised when I came here about the "land of the free" being nothing else but words. Far from being the truth. When I arrived here (Texas) , I couldn't buy any alcohol on my town. NOBODY sold even beer!! You had to go to the next town to buy a freaking beer. So much for the "land of the free". Now , two years later, they at least sell beer and wine, but if you want whiskey or similars you still have to go next town (Unless it's Sunday, because for some reason they are not allowed to sell liquor on Sundays....)
ReplyDeleteAnd what about the TV? The TV here is HEAVILY CENSORED. Not only with those annoying beeping sounds over cursing words that you can't even know what the guy is saying. But with scenes being totally removed from the movies, like if they weren't there. And I'm not even talking about nude or sex scenes (which is still pathetic to have them removed), but I've seen even bawdy scenes removed. I've lived in a dictatorship back in Europe, and guess what? that's EXACTLY what dictators do.
This is the most true article I have EVER seen.
ReplyDeleteI've lived in the u.s my whole life and I can't find a truer article.
ReplyDeleteBased on the aggregate score from a 2016 Freedom in the World report, the US is the 47th freest country on earth and is on a multiyear decline. Check out the methodology and table of scores. https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2016
ReplyDeleteI like the article and agree with most of it, what's confusing though is , much like naturalnews.com reports on benefits of smaller government, the countries I believe you are referring to as "better" do have large network of government which do serve and protect the humanity of the individual, however it's still a "large" government... Also, times have changed so much since the1800's and as it stands today America peaked already, and like anything new and innovative, a country like anything else, after a while becomes flat and outdated and bloated with rules, the "party's over."
ReplyDeleteDoit Toit, I might not be the Stephen your remark was meant for, but if I may, I have a reply. The USA is "independent" in the political definition of that term: no foreign power runs us as a puppet state or colony. Like every other country in the world, we are not "independent" in the sense of having no obligations to other nations (e.g. trade expenses, treaties, perceived loyalties to some friendly nations like Israel and the UK), and like every other nation we are parties to international agreements not wholly of our making (e.g. Interpol, customs, mail, etc.). And we are not free of foreign influence and interference, as the Russian hacks in support of Donal trump and foreign lobbying in Washington prove.
ReplyDeleteAmerican corporations, our feckless Congresses, and market forces are responsible for the examples you offer -- American auto makers moving manufacturing abroad, Chinese ownership of some American properties -- and corporate HQ moves to Ireland. Congress wrote the tax laws and tariff laws that permit and reward all that. Like every other nation, even North Korea, we are not an autarky.
Now, as for individual citizens, the very word "citizen" shows that a person is not truly free. Only wishful thinkers espousing the bogus "sovereign citizen" claim argue that one can be a "citizen" with no loss of freedoms. Are Americans as free as they like to think? No way! Not even close! And our personal liberties have shrunk enormously recently, thanks largely to George W. Bush and Barack Obama, whose diminution of Constitutional protections would have been unthinkable before 2001.
The Wall Street Journal had an article Jan. 6, 2017, ("Call Centers May Know a Surprising Amount About You"), revealing that our calls to customer call centers are being analyzed to create a personality profile so that future calls to centers can be routed to the agent most likely to be able to handle us. Before our calls are answered, many call centers automatically check our phone number against a database that includes data from credit reporting agencies, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Privacy (an essential component of freedom) is in effect dead, along with many individual choices, like the example offered by Topolda Molder about alcohol in Texas.
If an American really wants to know how free he is, he should try leaving the USA. This needs to be put on huge billboards all over the country, because at the moment, the only people aware that the USA has built a wall with the spikes pointing inwards are US expats who's cries are not being heard.
DeleteAMERICANS ARE NO LONGER FREE TO LEAVE THE USA!
You know, many times I tell people that they are not free to leave the USA, and many times I am met with doubts about my sanity. Citizenship is one thing, but when that government uses that citizenship to claim ownership over a person and their earnings no matter where in the world they live, that becomes something else altogether. I dearly wish more people understood the full implications of the US citizenship based tax code and FATCA, because if they did, their blood would run cold. Renunciations up from a couple of hundred in 2008 to many thousands today and still rising, this despite the efforts to stem the flow by massively increasing fees, tax compliance requirements and limiting appointments at embassies. Tell the overseas American about the USA being the land of the free and he's likely to spit in your eye.
DeleteMike Breen, Americans *are* free to leave the country, but moving abroad (like moving from one state in the USA to another) has tax implications, just like owning property or buying a book. All of those rich people you mention who are renouncing USA citizenship are proof that citizens are free to go. You are intensely focused on tax issues, and I can understand that, but we cannot logically equate levying taxes with preventing travel or emigration.
DeleteIt's all capitalism and has little to do with being yourself. Everything becomes an effect of the cause of money, and those who have money, using mathematics to control the human body. But those who have the money already have it all - and need power and time remaining on their side. All because of reason. Reflections of reason, the reason things have to work in certain ways, beginning with how people think and act, to uphold this giant oligarchy to protect the wealthy and instill the family mentality, it's what's cheapest and works best to keep people coming. And what do people do? They destroy. They destroy one another, the earth, people who make the most money, usually great creators, are actually the best destroyers as what you create is always equal to what you destroy - and why every dwelling and business in America has a bathroom and many of them more than one. Those who have destroyed and taken the most, are those who owe the most, coincidently, and yet are 'freest' to not get caught for it, being able to afford what it takes to best survive - and a lot of this has to do with that, because that's what those who have all of the money are trying to ensure their survival at the cost of everyone else. The cigarettes, bars on every corner, prisons built to profit, fast food, 90% of groceries stores selling tainted food - it's all math, built to lowball everyone and divide the rich from the poor. The poor get poor, the rich get richer - as all rich people know - it isn't about money, it's about time. They throw away couches and buy new ones as the time it takes to sell the couch isn't worth it. But let's be real here - freedom doesn't even exist. It's a made up word. You jump up - gravity pulls you down. Nobody goes anywhere without cash. Freedom is a product of propaganda, and I think our founding father knew this - at this point, logical deduction seems to point toward some secret agreement between them and the throne of England dividing up America to better control it for old money and the throne, by changing the system of how people's minds work, and nothing else. Math always stays the same - and think about this.. Who are you anyways? You are a reflection of how god made you, metaphorically speaking (as there really is no god.) But if there was one - who would he be? The world's richest person - bound by the laws of math, without freedom, like the rest of us, bound to the best choices mathematically, behaving accordingly, and the rest of us are less perfect images of his likeness. Our perfection diminishes due to the constraints of mass and matter and our professions and what they do to us trying to earn a living while god, the king, has all of us working for him. I heard he just got married last week. But I guess we could all just pretend it's 'freer' over there.
ReplyDeleteThanks how can I been an author in this site
ReplyDeleteI will like to be an author to give my two cents about America here
ReplyDeleteClick the Become an Author link above to learn how to apply.
DeleteThis is written by someone who doesn't even live in the united states lmao
ReplyDeleteThis article is fairly true, but why did not not expand upon the prison population more so? You know, America only have 4% of the world's population and they have over 25% of the world's prisoners. Those that think this not true need to do more research. The country crushes its own and it is estimated that 10% of those accused of crimes are innocent. Wow, what an screwed up country. And to think I served in the military for this country. I am sicken by this nation and what it does to me and its people.
ReplyDeleteIt was the land of the free before the settlers came here. Fake Christian settlers made it to be the land of, get arrested, and get jailed, and pay a fine, and pay for God's free gifts, that are from the earth, and pay for things that are made by God's children. We are living in a land of lies. The theives Jesus cast out of the temple are influencing the world. Liars will not inherit God's kingdom. The world needs to repent. Don't dilly dally. God is not going to strive with the hearts of men, forever. Manufacturing will go way down when the best can be had, asking for whatever. Money will no longer motivate people to pillage the earth of God's free gifts, that came down from the Father of lights, who has no shadow in turning. People need to care about god's image. They will care about Jesus who is the Father, when they do that. The Father God does not want to say no to himself, any longer.
ReplyDeleteIt was the land of the free before the settlers came here. Fake Christian settlers made it to be the land of, get arrested. It is tyhe land of, get jailed. It is the land of pay. Pay a fine. Pay for God's free gifts. Pay for things that are made by God's children. It is a land where people give guilt, saying you are free, with a straight face, not being honest. It is the land of censor, saying freedom of speech, being a deceptive contradiction. It is the land of subterfuge, saying pervert to a sexuality name, when the mouth and tongue, need to not be perverted. It is the land of condemn, not knowing the kind of Judging that Jesus used, condeming no one. We are living in a land of lies. The theives Jesus cast out of the temple, are influencing the world. Liars will not inherit God's kingdom. The world needs to repent. Don't dilly dally. God is not going to strive with the hearts of men, forever. Manufacturing will go way down when the best can be had, asking for whatever. Money will no longer motivate people to pillage the earth of God's free gifts, that came down from the Father of lights, who has no shadow in turning. We have a shadow in turning. Observe yourselves. Sin in the body. People need to care about god's image. They will care about Jesus who is the Father, when they do that. The Father God does not want to say no to himself, any longer.
ReplyDeleteIt was the land of the free before the settlers came here. Fake Christian settlers made it to be the land of, get arrested. It is the land of get jailed. It is the land of pay. Pay a fine. Pay for God's free gifts. Pay for things that are made by God's children. It is a land where people give guilt, saying you are free, with a straight face, not being honest. It is the land of censor, saying freedom of speech, being a deceptive contradiction. It is the land of subterfuge, saying pervert to a sexuality name, when the mouth and tongue, need to not be perverted. It is the land of condemn, not knowing the kind of Judging that Jesus used, condemning no one. We are living in a land of lies. The theives Jesus cast out of the temple, are influencing the world. Liars will not inherit God's kingdom. The world needs to repent. Don't dilly dally. God is not going to strive with the hearts of men, forever. Manufacturing will go way down when the best can be had, asking for whatever. Money will no longer motivate people to pillage the earth of God's free gifts, that came down from the Father of lights, who has no shadow in turning. We have a shadow in turning. Observe yourselves. Sin in the body. People need to care about god's image. They will care about Jesus who is the Father God visually seen, when they do that. The Father God does not want to say no to himself, any longer.
ReplyDeleteIt was the land of the free before the settlers came here. They brought guns. Guns don't kill people. People kill people, using whatever. Guns don't need to be gone or change. People need to change. The spirit that wanted to pierce Jesus with spikes, is in people who want too pierce people, with a bullet. Liars are saying guns, guns are the problem. The heart is deceptively wicked. Who can know it. I can see it. Fake Christian settlers made it to be the land of, get arrested. It is the land of get jailed. It is the land of pay. Pay a fine. Pay for God's free gifts. Pay for things that are made by God's children. It is a land where people give guilt, saying you are free, with a straight face, not being honest. It is the land of censor, saying freedom of speech, being a deceptive contradiction. It is the land of subterfuge, saying pervert to a sexuality name, when the mouth and tongue, need to not be perverted. It is the land of condemn, not knowing the kind of Judging that Jesus used, condemning no one. We are living in a land of lies. The theives Jesus cast out of the temple, are influencing the world. Liars will not inherit God's kingdom. The world needs to repent. Don't dilly dally. God is not going to strive with the hearts of men, forever. Manufacturing will go way down when the best can be had, asking for whatever. Money will no longer motivate people to pillage the earth of God's free gifts, that came down from the Father of lights, who has no shadow in turning. We have a shadow in turning. Observe yourselves. Sin in the body. People need to care about god's image. They will care about Jesus who is the Father God visually seen, when they do that. The Father God does not want to say no to himself, any longer.
ReplyDeleteI too have not been affected by the lies taught to people. Truth is being spoken, finally. Satan is independent of God. Satan says that through a person, not God. Satan rejoices, not God. God did not make boom. Satan made that. Genisis 1:17 is not a boom. Religon, being many, is a false premise. Jamie's 1:26 - 27 shows people that. People need to regulate themselves for their salvations sake. Where did god talk about economic growth? That needs money. God did not tell us to use money. Look at china. Their economic growth polluted their water and air. Desire for money did that. Tax collectors are sinners. How can they be sinners, with money being good? How then is money good? Immigration is a myth that Muslims use to come in, to eventually destroy everything. Racium is a myth. We are the human race. God invented free, not cost of living. Church wants people to be in debt,. money wise, changing the Lords prayer from forgiver us our debts, to forgive us our trespasses. God made all of to be rich. Money makes the discrepancy between rich and poor. Human livestock. People in the Gospel Mission are treated like livestock. The USA designed it to be that way. No one can say: I was a stranger, and you took me in.1 Peter 3:19 - 20, KJV. Satan's prison that is unseen. That being made what is seen. People need to serve each other - bear oneanother's burdens, not serve the military. You are right. Profit is apposed to God giving to god, what ios God's. That is one person giving to another person, what is God's. People give, but they are giving what they don't want anymore. You are right. We are not allowed to be our relaxed selves, being afraid. We cannot relax with another species, pleasing each other. We cannot relax in our own skin. Perverted tongues are saying pervert to people, in a negitive froward way. Pure undefiled religon cares about people. People who have religon that is not vain, will bridle their tongue. Jamies 1:26 - 27, KJV. The church hides the truth. Jesus judges as to who lives, and who does not live, forever. It is fatal to the person, who does what Jesus does.
ReplyDeleteThis post is just one person's opinion with very few facts, and it's statistics are distorted. There are flaws about the U.S., just like every other country. I'm not a fan of the rapidly increasing gap between the wealthy and everyone else, the lack of business regulation, the weak and outdated anti monopoly laws, the rapid, unfettered rising cost of living, the general overcorrection in political correctness, the general, overall oversaturation of social media, the general lack of privacy, the lack of work life balance, etc... Make no mistake though there are several worse countries. That being said I've thought about moving elsewhere, but not while I have school aged children. Any suggestions of counties that have less of the annoyances I listed above for when my children move out when they're adults?
ReplyDelete