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| Politics Democrat, Republican, Independent. Liberal or conservative. We're talking politics here! |
| View Poll Results: Do Americans enjoy more or less freedom today? | |||
| More. |     | 2 | 11.11% |
| Less. |    | 12 | 66.67% |
| Meaningfully the same amount. |    | 3 | 16.67% |
| I don't have a good enough sense of which is the case. |    | 1 | 5.56% |
| Voters: 18. You may not vote on this poll | |||
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02-26-2013, 10:28 AM
| #1 |
| ..  Member Since: Aug 2007
Posts: 10,937
| More or less freedom today? Would you say that, in general, Americans enjoy more or less freedom today than colonial Americans enjoyed just prior to the American Revolution? Our answers probably depend to a large extent on our respective normative beliefs and priorities, but that's okay - such normative beliefs go to the heart of the inquiry.
__________________ You have it all wrong President Obama... The risk of death isn't the price we pay for liberty, the risk of death is the price we pay for life. The price we pay for liberty is being accountable for our own actions - that, and the burden of holding others individually accountable for theirs. |
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02-26-2013, 10:35 AM
| #2 | |
| 24/7 Single Dad  Member Since: Nov 2003 Location: Highway to Hell
Posts: 38,141
| Prior to the revolution we were subjects of the king of England and had no rights at all.
__________________ The stuff cheerleaders do on hardwood, it absolutely blows my mind - Joe Biden Quote:
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02-26-2013, 11:06 AM
| #3 | |
| Pixelated  Member Since: Sep 2006
Posts: 21,838
| Quote:
Although it is your question Tilted, I’m not sure the time frames are relevant. I wonder what some of our seniors would say. Do they feel they are more or less free today than, say, in the 50s or 60s? What about WWII or Vietnam? What about someone like me in my 50s? Am I more or less free today than in the 80s? I wonder if answers wouldn’t stem more from whether we feel our freedoms are more threatened today than times in the past; not necessarily that we are less free. I can say with things like Obamacare and the Patriot Act our liberties are more threatened today than in the past.
__________________ You get the government you deserve. | |
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02-26-2013, 11:08 AM
| #4 | |
| Registered User  Member Since: Mar 2009
Posts: 181
| Quote:
__________________ "Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory... lasts forever." - Shane Falco | |
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02-26-2013, 11:12 AM
| #5 | |
| Strung Out  Member Since: Feb 2001
Posts: 63,790
| Quote:
Clearly more today. Travel, information, freedom of thought, association. Really good question. Takes a moment to think about it.
__________________ "...When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law. These two evils are of equal consequence, and it would be difficult for a person to choose between them." Frédéric Bastiat | |
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02-26-2013, 11:18 AM
| #6 |
| aka Mrs. Giant  Member Since: May 2002 Location: Candy Land
Posts: 18,163
| At that particular point in time, the King was an absent ruler. Appointed governers did their own thing and left others to do their own thing. As a matter of fact, early American settlers were known to tar and feather representatives that tried to enforce new rules upon them. Taxes were only on goods (tea party anyone) and not on income and everything else under the sun. Individuals were free to build business and create new things. Colleges and Public Houses were hotbeds of conversation, ideas and free exchange, along with fights, disagreements and name calling. One could smoke, drink and do just about anything except murder. Communities / Churches worked together to help the less fortunate, but nobody was forced to do so. Individuals owned warships, cannons, and muskets (which allowed them to fight the revolutionary war). So...we are much worse off. We pay more taxes, we have more rules and laws, we can't create, we can't build and we have to be PC and we live in fear of our government.
__________________ *Disclaimer: My online conversation and comments to you in no way imply that I am actually interested in you.* |
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02-26-2013, 11:53 AM
| #7 | |
| Super Genius  Member Since: Feb 2004 Location: St Inigoes, MD
Posts: 14,197
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__________________ All men having power ought to be distrusted to a certain degree. James Madison, speech at the Constitutional Convention, July 11, 1787 | |
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02-26-2013, 11:54 AM
| #8 | |
| Strung Out Member Since: Feb 2001
Posts: 63,790
| Quote:
__________________ "...When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law. These two evils are of equal consequence, and it would be difficult for a person to choose between them." Frédéric Bastiat | |
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02-26-2013, 12:09 PM
| #9 |
| Registered User Member Since: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,425
| In terms of freedom from the gov't, probably a lot more freedom circa 1770. The British taxes that started heating things up where not even that high. In terms of economic mobility and career options, social mobility, along with more flexibility moral norms, there is a lot more freedom today. GURPS likes this. |
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02-26-2013, 12:36 PM
| #10 |
| Board Mommy  Member Since: Mar 2001 Location: Off the grid
Posts: 89,624
| It's hard to tell because I have no first-hand knowledge of what life was like back then. I don't feel I am "not free" now and from what I understand I wouldn't have felt that way 250 years ago, either. I cannot think of anything I want to do right now that I can't because government has made it illegal. My bigger concern is taxation, which was a problem for them back then as well. |
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