Do American people have too much freedom?

[Deleted]

Nonsense. The most corrupt countries are dictatorships, not free societies, where you barter for "privileges" (not that democracies are much different, they just call it pressure groups/lobbies.) There is no such thing as "too much freedom" provided no one's rights are violated. Besides, the US is far from "free". It is just freer than countries like Saudi Arabia, and luckily still has a populace ballsy and with enough of a spine to stand up to its over-reaching, arrogant government.

Just because a country with too much freedom is less corrupt than with a dictatorship doesn't make it good. You said it yourself. (See underlined) That basically comes down to too much freedom.

[Catta]

And you don't think your first world country doesn't do the same to its citizens?

Not really, no...

[etnitz]

Wait, what? The us postal service isn't on the brink of bankruptcy.

are you serious!?!?!? they reported a net loss of $5.2 billion in one quarter! http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/financials/welcome.htm

[Catta]

Actually no we dont

Yours does! I read The girl who played with fire.
Damn Säpo!

[theredviola]

American isn't as free as people make it out to be.

The American population isn't. Corporate America is an ENTIRELY different story.

[semaphore]

are you serious!?!?!? they reported a net loss of $5.2 billion in one quarter! http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/financials/welcome.htm

You do realise that it's a government agency, not a private corporation?

[Sarojini]

I'm pretty happy with my level of freedom in the US.

There have been studies that show, strangely enough, that as people gain more freedom of choice they become less happy. I can sort of understand that, I suppose, as there are times I wouldn't mind just being institutionalized for a little while to know that there's a plan for me and I don't have to figure it all out on my own. But I wouldn't want that to be my life all the time. I like having some level of freedom.

This is shown perfectly in children.

Children need structure, they need stability, they feel safest when they are told what to do. Of course they are allowed freedoms within that safety net, but absolute freedom is a bad thing because children (and people) make bad decisions which leads to unwanted consequences. We give children the illusion of freedom and choices because it keeps them happy. We don't allow unrestricted access to tv/internet 24/7 because they'd never achieve anything else, so we offer the choice "you have free time from 7-9, during which time you can do whatever you like".

Adults also need certain "freedoms" curtailed and restrictions imposed. Your "freedom" to kill/steal etc is removed, instead you have the choice of opting to kill/steal in exchange for jail time/death sentence.

There will always be choices. No matter how much or how little "freedom" you think you have, you always have a choice.

[semaphore]

Yours does! I read The girl who played with fire.
Damn Säpo!

I just finished rereading that

Säpo is such a cool name.

[Deleted]

Actually the republicans made the postal office pay into pensions for the next 75 years, within a ten year time frame...And then they complain government doesn't work. lol
If you take that out it's running billions in surplus.

False. Results before retiree pre-funding:

FY2009: - $2.4 Billion
FY2010 - $3.0 Billion
FY2011 -$5.1 Billion
FY2012 -$10.3 Billion

Doesn't look like "billions in surplus" to me.


(link from USPS's own site)

Source for FY2011 and 2012:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-1...9-billion.html

[Catta]

What a pointless philosophising OP.

It's always a balance between the different freedoms and needs of the people.

I did not recognize you with ze new avatar... I read your sig first. That was cute...

[DieFichte]

I just finished rereading that

Säpo is such a cool name.

Don't ninja change your avatar pfff....

And scandinavian agencies sound always cooler then ours

[Rampant Rabbit]

Do American people have too much freedom?

Hehehehe, no.

The land of the free is not what it makes it out to be. Most people are subject to having their minds enslaved to this lie by the government, and patriots.

[etnitz]

The only time the government should intervene is when my choices affect other people e.g. murder, burglary, rape, etc because I am taking away another persons freedoms.

---------- Post added 2013-01-10 at 03:05 PM ----------

That is my point! It is the private sector that controls the economy. The more freedoms the private sector has, the better economy.

[Catta]

I just finished rereading that

Säpo is such a cool name.

I find it sounds like Soap...

Theres
Swedish Säpo
Finnish Supo
Norwegian PST
Danish PET
Icelandic GRLS

I find the icelandic one funniest - and the norwegian one the most apt for a secret service

[Bakis]

The only time the government should intervene is when my choices affect other people e.g. murder, burglary, rape, etc because I am taking away another persons freedoms.

---------- Post added 2013-01-10 at 03:05 PM ----------

That is my point! It is the private sector that controls the economy. The more freedoms the private sector has, the better economy.

In both Europe and the US the cause of the recession can largely be pinpoited to the fiscal sector having too much freedom and too little regulation... housing bubble in the US/Spain etc ring a bell?

[Deleted]

In both Europe and the US the cause of the recession can largely be pinpoited to the fiscal sector having too much freedom and too little regulation... housing bubble in the US/Spain etc ring a bell?

What's the "fiscal sector"?

[Bakis]

I find it sounds like Soap...

Theres
Swedish Säpo
Finnish Supo
Norwegian PST
Danish PET
Icelandic GRLS

I find the icelandic one funniest - and the norwegian one the most apt for a secret service

Norwegian PMS, fixed that for you.

[Tierbook]

In both Europe and the US the cause of the recession can largely be pinpoited to the fiscal sector having too much freedom and too little regulation... housing bubble in the US/Spain etc ring a bell?

way back when the nation was bailed out by companies... or at least the Rothschild family

[semaphore]

Don't ninja change your avatar pfff....

I did not recognize you with ze new avatar... I read your sig first. That was cute...

It's part of my campaign to introduce MMO-C to the fluff and love and everything cute that is my inner self
And a sig to revel in "Lawrence Krauss said I'm right" is just good form.

And scandinavian agencies sound always cooler then ours

Norwegian PST
Danish PET
Icelandic GRLS

I find the icelandic one funniest - and the norwegian one the most apt for a secret service

Who can take your Danish pet and Norwegian whispers seriously as secret police? Gosh! Even the Icelandic Girls sounds like they'll do better!

[Tierbook]

What's the "fiscal sector"?

the sector of the economy that deals with money... you know all of it