Do American people have too much freedom?

[Brightnail]

Freedom is a good thing, but too much of a good thing is bad. A society with too much freedom will eventually corrupt itself.

Hmm strange now I see why some countries would rather have less freedoms. Sometimes people need to be told what they can and cannot have. Sometimes people need to be controlled and ruled.

In the end you're screwed either way. Too much freedom is a bad thing, and too little freedom is also a bad thing.

I am always amazed at posts like this, which are obviously from the mouth of a teen.

How do you qualify the statement "Too much freedom will eventually corrupt itself...". Really? How do you know? Where does the bases for such a statement come from?

Unfortunetly, you have it backwards. To little freedom corrupts. Why do you think with the rise of big govt., also rises mega-corps, unending regulations, civil liberty destroying laws, wars, banking instutitions ? etc... TRUST ME, it is not because of "freedom", but lack thereof.

Now, with the gun grab agenda going on etc..... Yet, our debt is spiraling and nobody in Govt. seems to care. Why?

No, we need MORE freedom, MORE liberty --- Remember, we have a thing called bill of rights, constitution - (of course, govt. sh*ts on them), but the fact remains... your body is yours. Your freedom is alllll yours as long as you do not infringe on others rights. Government is suppose to enforce contracts, property rights.. it doesn't.

No, totalitarianism is in your future if you don't remove yourself from the line of thinking you proprose..... Government creates most problems... then swoops in to "fix" it with less freedom, more thievery, and more corruption.. AND you want more of that because you think ME having more freedom will corrupt?

Just wow.

[lzsg]

Absolute freedom - economical, social and political - is anarchy. Which means the only free people are the ones with the biggest guns. A statement like 'there's no such thing as too much freedom' is ridiculous.

I agree with George Carlin. The concept of freedom is obviously very important in the US, but I've never really gotten the impression that Americans are more free than people in any other western country. I guess the corporations hold more power over people comparatively, which gives the illusion of more freedom since the government isn't as involved in people's lives.

No, totalitarianism is in your future if you don't remove yourself from the line of thinking you proprose..... Government creates most problems... then swoops in to "fix" it with less freedom, more thievery, and more corruption.. AND you want more of that because you think ME having more freedom will corrupt?

Yes, things like the financial crisis was clearly caused by the goverment interfering in peoples lives, and not by privately owned corporations (banks, in this case) being given way too much free reign and screwing things up.

[larrakeyah]

The concept of freedom is obviously very important in the US, but I've never really gotten the impression that Americans are more free than people in any other western country. I guess the corporations hold more power over people comparatively, which gives the illusion of more freedom since the government isn't as involved in people's lives.

Consumers hold power over corporations.

[Ebildays]

What is too much freedom? Before I can answer that question I would have to know what "freedoms" that we have that we could do without.

[Catta]

I'd say that the US lacks freedoms in some regard compared to my country...

Cant even get a Kinder Egg

[larrakeyah]

I'd say that the US lacks freedoms in some regard compared to my country...

Cant even get a Kinder Egg

OMFG that's true! Government intervention at its worst :P

EDIT: I actually had to wiki it, thought you were joking lol

[Deleted]

Freedom is a good thing, but too much of a good thing is bad. A society with too much freedom will eventually corrupt itself.

Hmm strange now I see why some countries would rather have less freedoms. Sometimes people need to be told what they can and cannot have. Sometimes people need to be controlled and ruled.

In the end you're screwed either way. Too much freedom is a bad thing, and too little freedom is also a bad thing.

What? It's not a damn freedom-problem. The way our society works is the problem.

[ptwonline]

Two ways to have freedoms:

1. Everything restricted except for what is allowed
2. Everything allowed except what is restricted

Neither is perfect. The former tends to be very oppressive and bureaucratic. The latter tends to result in tremendous amounts of harm being done by people who abuse the freedom before it gets limited or removed.

Ideally we'd have a bit of both: allowing most things but trying to reasonably foresee potential dangers and abuses and putting rules in place to prevent those. That's where every society is really, but they shift back and forth along the spectrum. The US is closer to the side where things are allowed until they are restricted. This is not the problem. The problem is that you need people and governments who will pass necessary and sensible restrictions as it becomes apparent that it is needed. That is really where the US has faltered thanks to the corrupted political system and because of personal greed. This is why, for example, that after Wall Street almost brought down civilization as we know it there still aren't any rules in place that would stop them from doing it again.

[Kraenen]

Excuse me if I do not take a deceased comedians opinion's seriously on political issues. Now if you would have posted something from an actual political science professional I may have read it and took it to heart. But this is laughable.

hahaha

you take political science seriously? george carlin is more educated about politics in america than 99% of poli sci "professionals"

---------- Post added 2013-01-10 at 09:50 PM ----------

Consumers hold power over corporations.

actually executives and shareholders do

[Catta]

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.

Too much of anything is bad.

The key word being "too"

[Scathbais]

Freedom is a good thing, but too much of a good thing is bad. A society with too much freedom will eventually corrupt itself.

Hmm strange now I see why some countries would rather have less freedoms. Sometimes people need to be told what they can and cannot have. Sometimes people need to be controlled and ruled.

In the end you're screwed either way. Too much freedom is a bad thing, and too little freedom is also a bad thing.

Our Declaration of Independence says "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Our freedom (and yours) comes from our creator. It is when corrupt governments get too involved in socially engineering our welfare that we begin to lose our freedom.

As long as your actions do not directly harm another individual or their property, there is no such thing as too much freedom.

[PACOX]

Definitely true. In fact every year that passes we are less free.

Actually the US has a lot more liberties than a lot of other western nations, which is why our society can seem "backwards" in contrast.

[BrokenHearthstone]

I'm free, yet so trapped.

[ptwonline]

Too much of anything is bad.

The key word being "too"

I disagree. For example: can there be too many pictures of naked celebrities on the Internet? I say no. Even if it's Carrot Top (well, pseudo celebs too I guess). He may not be my cup of tea, but someone out there might like it!

[Kraenen]

It is when corrupt governments get too involved in socially engineering our welfare that we begin to lose our freedom.

then what is with all these dominionist and evangelical conservatives wanting to use government to spread their morality? you'd have to call them something other than a conservative or american even.

[Kurioxan]

Too much freedom? dude the only difference US and the rest of the western world and some other developed countries is that you can freely buy guns, nothing else.

[Catta]

Actually the US has a lot more liberties than a lot of other western nations, which is why our society can seem "backwards" in contrast.

Can you list them?

[therealbowser]

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.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Catta]

I disagree. For example: can there be too many pictures of naked celebrities on the Internet? I say no. Even if it's Carrot Top (well, pseudo celebs too I guess). He may not be my cup of tea, but someone out there might like it!

The question there is "can there". If state that there ARE too many. Then the word "too" implies that it is bad.

[Uvwaex]

Lots of good indices to look at OP if you're into a more "political science" stance. I would recommend the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy index, though it factors in things beyond "freedom" towards "functioning democracy".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_freedom_indices

Also, the question of too much freedom comes about when the freedom of one person begins to infringe on the freedom of another.