Is the USA really "free"?

[Anonymous]

"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and all that

Updates

8 mo

I live here myself, and I'm on the fence...

[Anonymous]

No. I'd argue it never was. America gives the illusion of choice and freedom to placate the populace, but it is a fantasy. Rights and liberties mean nothing to the government and the government is bought and paid for by the rich. It is the wealthiest who make the laws and decide which ones are enforced. They tell you that if you work hard, you can be rich like them. It's a lie. They are the products of generational wealth, not hard work, and no amount of hard work will ever bring you to their heights. If you serve them well, you may be temporarily rewarded with more freedom than most, but it will come at the cost of your soul.

Our government does not work to improve the lives of the citizens. They work to grow the wealth of the powerful. For a while, there was civil unrest. And covid came, giving people momentary freedom from being the tools of the rich. Many did not know what to do with this freedom and panicked, like laboratory apes seeing the outside world for the first time. This led to further unrest. The wealthy became scared and have since tightened the leash, stripping as much freedom away as they believe they can.

The people and the world itself suffers for their greed. There is no freedom here. There is no hope. Only a slow march toward oblivion. And when it reaches its end, America will drag the whole world with it.

[DryGermanGuy]

2,5 million people in the prison/jail system, another 2,5 million people under probation or parole... that should tell you everything you need to know.

[Asker]

Even though America is my home, it really disappoints me at times.

[Anonymous]

No, it really isn't. As another poster already said, it gives people the illusion of freedom by feeding them propaganda since they were kids. You get told how great it is since you are able to grasp the human language, how much better it is compared to the rest of the world, that if you only work hard enough you'll get "there". When in reality, it's all a lie. The notorious nationalism and patriotism is overwhelming and unsettling. Kids get into trouble if they refuse to do the pledge of allegiance in school - who even has a pledge like that anymore in this day and age?

In other countries you don't need 3 jobs to support your family and parents get paid to stay off work if they just had a child, and their job is secured for when they return. And Americans pride themselves of having to work until they drop dead. They work to live but in other countries, we don't live to work. It looks like such a miserable, god forsaken place. And the saddest part is how little so many realize that, just because they don't know any better.

[gothbxtch]

nope, and groups are making it even less so

[Asker]

Groups?

[gothbxtch]

like republicans for example

[Anemone978]

No USA is one of the greediest and shittiest countries to live in.. it is so shit they would put a moron like DT as their leader xD

[Asker]

I live here myself, and you're right. I envy other countries, and resent many of my compatriots. It is anything but free. Both political sides disappoint me.

It's still home I guess...

[YesterdaysChild]

We are not free. It is all fake news.

[Bilboes]

It's free enough to give absurd rights to the freakiest people I've ever seen in my life..

[Wonderingguyy]

I wouldn’t feel free in a country where everyone can have guns 😭

[DubiousIntentions]

@wonderingguyyIt's people in the past that had guns that won our freedom from the British tyrants. At least back in 1700's they were tyrants. Had we not fought for freedom we would still be a colony run by ruthless Governors and being taxed heavily and be made poor.

[ZamerZ]

@DubiousIntentions I don't know how well you'll take this, but we don't live in the 1700s anymore.

[DubiousIntentions]

@ZamerZ Just saying we are not exactly free, but a lot freer than if the government didn't fear the 200 million guns in the US.

[ZamerZ]

@DubiousIntentions does the government, though? I am also wondering if that is a good foundation for the relationship your government has with it's citizens. If both always have to fear the worst, it's a good breeding ground for trust issues and other. Perhaps there is some light at the end of the tunnel sometime and it's not a train for once.

[DubiousIntentions]

@ZamerZ History has shown that only fools trust their government without at least some doubt.

[slatyb]

In some ways we're very free, in other ways we're not.

[NaultD]

It's supposed to be an everlasting experiment. To say definitively we achive true freedom is the moment we lose all freedoms. To not expect better we settle for less.

[Adaeva]

Of course. Not in the last 50 years if we every were free. Regardless, the USA is far less free then 50 yeas ago.

[Anonymous]

Any country that has cops waiting in the bushes to ruin your day for going 10 miles over the speed limit is not "free". There's law and order, then there's abuse of power.

[Miah05]

Nope. Never has been.

Does it have a lot more freedoms than most countries.. yes.

[Samantha36]

No it's not. I'm very glad I live in the UK compared to USA.

[exitseven]

It is better than a lot c of places but it is a different country than the one I grew up in

[Snakeyes7]

No because the government is doing everything they can to violate it.

[inhua]

absolutely not

[msc545]

Of course it isn't.

[Iron_Man]

Yes it is

[FunkyMonkee]

Not anymore!