Why is the United States not at the top of the list when it comes to freest countries in the world? ~ Get new episodes in your inbox once a week: thewhyminutes.com/subscribe/ / whyminutes / thewhyminutes Host: / nickfreitasva
New Zealand which told people they couldn't leave their homes? Ireland which is passing laws that making criticizing immigration a jailable crime? I'm no longer concerned about this ranking.
Exactly my thoughts. Says a bit about what's behind the metrics. I don't think us is the most free tbh, with the corrupt government and (blank)-industrial complexes etc
"A court in Switzerland fined and sentenced a writer and pundit to 60 days in jail for calling a journalist a "fat lesbian," alarming free speech advocates across the globe. " Yeah, sounds like freedom to me.
our beautiful country is going to shit bcs of the woke politics thats been gaining traction through public opinion (schools are woke af), ton of conservatives have been elected recently tho so lets hope it gets better
The US seems to be prioritizing illegal immigrants over US citizens, including kicking a WW II combat veteran out of his nursing home to convert it to free housing for people who's presence in this country is a federal offense (crossing border illegally) . I think there is room for improvement....
This report was in 2022, the 2023 report will have to acknowledge a severe nosedive in personal freedoms in Ireland, especially over the last couple of months.
That fact alone causes me to have little to no faith in this listing. I mean, after all, just who compiled this list? What benchmarks were used as the criteria?
What? No it wasn't. I was out quite often, drove past cops, talked to some. It wasn't ILLEGAL to go out, just frowned and asked NOT to, unless necessary. The whole reason for this saved many people's lives. Not to mention, most of the world, or any decent country did the same. Hence why everyone wished they were us during covid. Nice try though. Nice try, try getting some freedom mate! lol...
It's an interesting list that has New Zealand near the top given the Draconian measures used to control COVID there. I wonder how the measure is made, and what kind of people are behind it, what is their objective?
Most of the lists compiled by these "international agencies" are framed to exclude and defame the US as much as possible. This place ain't perfect, and it's getting worse all the time, but if you don't have the freedom to say what you believe and defend your life and property, you are not free.
Ireland was a reasonably free country until recently. The Irish fought for nearly 800 years for freedom. However I would argue that joining the EU was the biggest mistake Ireland ever made particularly adopting the EURO as it’s currency. Allowing uncontrolled immigration is a massive mistake. We can’t house our own homeless and yet we’re spending Billions on migrants.
This video was 6-months ago. As such, it was the 2022 report being explored. Many people in the comment section are quick to point out that Ireland is different now, but the report isn't about what it is now. And until the 2023 report comes out in 2024, there's no relevance to comment on 'what it is now' when the video is 'what it was as of the last report'.
@@RichardHarlosyou act like countries can just change in a few months, they don’t. Ireland has been like that for much over a decade. So you obviously don’t know what you are talking about.
@@Sora_Nai wrote, _"you act like countries can just change in a few months, they don't."_ You interpret like a spoiled child, who can't be bothered to speak from facts, so they resort to personal insults. Ad hominem. A fallacy. The report quantifies 83 variables across 12 categories. I've read it. Clearly, you haven't. So, when you begin your reply with _"you act like,"_ it really should be completed by *"someone who has read the report; unlike you."* Sora: _"So you obviously don't know what you are talking about."_ I know what the report says. That's what we're talking about here, right? The findings of the report. Meanwhile, here you are regressing back to some adolescent mindset where something akin to, 'Oh my, someone disagrees with me; time to criticize the person because **how dare they!?"* If you'd like to speak to any of the 83 variables in the report, feel free to reply to me. If all you've got is more childish banter, don't bother.
hwa wrote, _" The measure of freedom is hte right to defend yourself, your family and your property, and freedom of speech. And of course, less tax."_ There's a lot more to it than you imagine: The Human Freedom Index presents the state of human freedom in the world based on a broad measure that encompasses personal, civil, and economic freedom. Human freedom is a social concept that recognizes the dignity of individuals and is defined here as negative liberty or the absence of coercive constraint. Because freedom is inherently valuable and plays a role in human progress, it is worth measuring carefully. The Human Freedom Index is a resource that can help to more objectively observe relationships between freedom and other social and economic phenomena, as well as the ways in which the various dimensions of freedom interact with one another. The report is copublished by the Cato Institute and the Fraser Institute. 2022 Index This eighth annual index uses 83 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: ~ Rule of law ~ Security and safety ~ Movement ~ Religion ~ Association, assembly, and civil society ~ Expression and information ~ Relationships ~ Size of government ~ Legal system and property rights ~ Sound money ~ Freedom to trade internationally ~ Regulation The HFI is the most comprehensive freedom index so far created for a globally meaningful set of countries and jurisdictions representing 98.1 percent of the world’s population.
@@chuckdavinci9044 I knew about the mandatory conscription but Switzerland hasn’t been at war in like 200 years so it’s not as bad as a lot of countries in that respect but yeah that’s pretty crumby. Why would they give everyone that’s served in the military in the past the right to keep their service weapon but not allow them to have ammo? I also didn’t know that it was a heavily speech restricting country. I knew the EU countries were heavily speech restricting
@@andys3138 compared to some other European countries their speech is relatively free but compared to the "most Free nation in the world" they basically live in Nazi Germany. If I was Swiss I'd probably be facing charges for saying that, for example. It's all well and good for the uncannily homogeneous makeup of the Swiss population but it is absurdly abhorrent for free thinking and artistic expression "outside the box."
@@andys3138 it's been a long time since I visited but as I recall they are allowed to get enough ammunition to train from the military run shooting ranges but they can't take any with them, completely defeating the purpose of having a weapon, immediately.
I think the destruction of canada by piece of turd over the last 8 years doomed canada for a long time. I'm not even sure that the conservative can dig us out of this hole
This ranking has NOTHING to with freedom for the people, is speaks of only the freedom of the 0,1% hyper rich like the WEF billionaires that meet every year in Davos Switzerland to plan how to enslave the world (That is why I call it World Enslavement Forum). shfgjdhgd
The frightening thing for me, as an Australian, is that the Left wing mentality has so spread through my country that I hear, even ordinary middle class Australians making ridiculous remarks like, "Why do we have state governments, everything could be run so much better by just one Government in Canberra." They have NO idea that our country was founded on a Federal, three tier system of Government - Federal, State and Local. Our system was designed to decentralise and therefore localise power to make it answerable to the people. Yet due to years of bad education and constant Left wing indoctrination, most ordinary Australians are quite happy to talk about getting rid of the States and having one central Government! It would not surprise me to see Australia go Socialist. Our taxpayer funded, national broadcaster, the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission), has been pushing hard Left, anti Christian, anti male, anti European indoctrination for countless years and nobody has made any real attempt to stop it. We have opened our borders to a literal flood of non European, Muslim migrants - over 500,000 in the last ten years - who are now trying to impose Shariah Law on us by stealth and have established massive crime syndicates in our major cities that our police cannot bring under control. Australia has changed, not for the better. We are certainly less free than we used to be and far less safe.
Aussies have been talking about abolishing state government for literally decades, but (for multiple political and legal reasons) it's never going to happen. I also don't think there was ever any overarching ideology about decentralisation, it just happened that way, as Au is so big. The middle class marxists are definitely a plague though, especially here in Vic
This isn’t a serious study. For example, it ranks Canada near the top for freedom of the press, while the government directly finances and controls nearly every newsroom in the country. New Zealand and Ireland are not free countries and should be closer to North Korea.
@@geraldholt2755 What has that incident to do with the date of, or the findings in, the 2022 report? And, yes, I read about the matter so I'm reasonably familiar with it. My question stands.
@@geraldholt2755 The report looks at 83 criteria across 12 categories, and is time-bound in its conclusions, which are re-evaluated with each new publication of the report. That's my point. Using an example that's outside the scope of the report says nothing about the report. Yes, the Count underwent the experience that he did, and yes, that may happen to other people for questionable reasons but... no, that says nothing about the 83 criteria across 12 categories, which arrives at an answer that gives a much fuller picture of 'freedom', overall, than citing a few perhaps exceptional examples to the final score.
I have been shocked by barnbaric treatment from my government , the refusal of law enforcement to protect me, and the willingness of my fellow citizens to allow Injustice to my family without being bothered to speak up.
That is your problem right there. "law enforcement to protect me". They are literally NOT here to protect you, never were and never will be. They ARE here to "control you". Read the Framers... they literally talk all about this! We are now at a point where the US government is WORSE than the government it had to kill people to become free of!
Number ONE, The police have no duty to protect you, they only investigate the aftermath. If you are thru, your what they are investigating. FACT you are your own 1st responder, invest in your second Amendment, because the police are minutes away and danger is seconds away when a situation occurs. TWO: If you voted in those that are ushering in all of this injustice, without researching their history in politics. As well agreed with their Unconstitutional talking points. Then that's the problem. Change views back to freedom and vote that in. If that fails and the courts fix it, default to WHY the 2nd Amendment was written in the first place. THIRD: Check out the Tenth Amendment Center and learn a lot about how this country was ment to be and was until the last 90ish years. Since the early 2000s our freedoms have rapidly declined.
@@userJohnSmith Not if they had kept the "mob" under control! Remember, we were once near the top of the list! What happened? The removal of the National Anthem and morning prayer in schools. Our government continously telling the Black community they were suppressed! Crazy they keep falling for that after having a Black president for 8 years! Our government allowing things like what happened in Baltimore MD, Washington state and Oregon! Yes is hard to control the mob when you provoke them, then allow they to do what ever they want without consequences!
So long as the 2-party system continues to rule, this problem will continue to grow. The Patriot Act, FISA, the very existence of the NSA, federal regulatory institutions for things like education and healthcare. We aren't "losing" our top spot, we're actively voting in support of it.
@@lilacghoste8366I wouldn't call France successful. They are fighting for social security now. Real success story with all the burning buildings, but exquisite cuisine.
I have been saying this for years. People in Cambodia can go to the movies, go out to eat, go to a sports event, sit on the porch and drink a beer; no one would call them free or many of the other countries where you can do the same. Americans are delusional if they think this is a free country, that left many years ago
@@chazzx1018 In most other countries there are no laws prohibiting loitering, panhandeling, soliciting, public intoxication, open containers... and so on. You are not free.
I'm like "England? Really??? A sixteen year old girl just got arrested for saying a cop looked like her lesbian aunt." We have our problems here in America, but that ain't one of them. Thank God and our Founders for *actual* freedom of speech and not "Freedom to say what the government approves of".
It is. The US and Japan are the only places where you have true free speech. Although Japan also gives you true freedom of Association, where America has crappy civil rights laws.
There's a big difference between direct democracy and representative democracy. Also, their is much to be said about a country populated with highly educated individuals with high ideals and homogeneity. Switzerland closed it's borders to the migrant horde. Very smart indeed!
Coupla points: It's a LOT easier to run a more 'hands off" approach, in a tiny, mostly homogeneous country, versus something the size and complexity (with the wide demographics) of the US. This is why pretending (as the left does) that "we" should simply roll out things that work in such a tiny nation, across the US, without expecting significant difficulty, is staggeringly idiotic. That said, "we" are still waiting for the first politician that actually shrank the size of the federal government. It is now an open question if that juggernaut CAN be stopped, even at the ballot box.
There are many large countries with universal health care. The US is by far the exception and not the rule. The size of the US is not the problem. The US is run by corporation through "donation" to politicians on both sides of the isle. That is fundamentally the problem.
That juggernaut you refer to I assume is Biden. Whether or not he can be stopped before 2025 is a good question. The real problem is whether or not the Left can be stopped. I think that if they remain in the White House this next election, this country will be forever changed in a very bad way. Even if a Republican with the best intentions wins this next election, whatever positive things he does will just be undone just like Biden did when he took over from Trump. I do believe this country has seen the last of better days. From reading through the comments, it seems as though Marxism has spread across the globe like a plague. I don't know how, but governments in major countries are rapidly becoming more controlling. Unfortunately, "we the people" here at home really have no way of taking our country back. An armed population is no good if they can't organize as act as one. Voting does no good if the polls are tampered with. Relying on your elected official to do their job and uphold the US Constitution is... is.., well, forget that. That's not going to happen. I think we're too far gone with too much "woke" ideology, too many immigrants with their own ideas and little to no patriotism being taught to younger generations. In short, we're fucked. Just my opinion.
It is certainly true that the US is quickly losing its freedoms. But as others have pointed out, a lot of the supposedly more free countries on that list hardly qualify as free at all.
Only in Liberal and Religious areas, if you live in a more Libertarian, or Conservative or even some 3rd party leftist areas, you have tons of freedom and free speech is quite good.
This video is highly deceptive. The US still has an objectively high score, it's just that (a very small number) other countries have an even higher score. The same is the case with the Ease of Doing Business Index. That and the video contradicted its own premise. How does Denmark have a higher score than the US overall, when it has a lower score on economic freedom? The answer, as the video notes, is because it scores higher in other respects. The problem is that almost everything he talks about is *just* economic freedom. Anyways, there's a much bigger problem with this video: He equates Unitary government with being unfree. Now, I'm a Federalist myself, I love decentralized governments, and I want to see the US to be a little more decentralized, but even I have to admit that the case he made is utterly ridiculous. First off, several of the countries with the highest scores - such as Ireland and Taiwan - are themselves *completely* unitary systems. So, if you actually read the reports he's citing, then it's obvious that this index does not dock point for being unitary, and a high score probably doesn't even correlate very well with federalism. Another issue is that decentralized government might mean less *central* government, but it doesn't necessarily mean less of *any* kind of government. It is entirely possible for a lower level of government to be more oppressive than a higher level of government. If you read Tocqueville's "Democracy in America (written in the 1830s - the translation I used is almost 700 pages, but it's so well-written that it goes by quickly, if you're interested in political philosophy), one of the interesting things you notice is that nearly all the tyranny in America came from state governments (or the "tyranny of the majority" - especially local majorities). Of course, Tocqueville considered federalism a good thing - he considered the best part of the US to be New England, and this was in part because it was *more* decentralized than other parts. Each state was its own federation in a way - with local governments having considerable autonomy. Part of the problem was that individual state governments were often worse designed than the federal government - it wasn't like today where many state constitutions imitate the famous Constitution of the United States as closely as practical. There's also what James Madison noted in his Federalist No. 10: that local prejudices can lead to tyrannical laws in regional governments, but national majorities can resist those prejudices. This, he argued, was one of the great benefits of the then-new Constitution, that it was designed for the federal and state governments to check and balance each other. My point is this: that too *little* central government can be just as dangerous to liberty as too *much* central government. In any case, although I believe the best possible federal system is better than the best possible unitary system, there is no question that some countries with unitary systems are freer than the US. Therefore, it doesn't make sense to cite the US becoming (slightly) less decentralized as a reason why it is becoming (slightly) less free unless you have an axe to grind with unitary systems, *and* lack either intellectual honesty or critical thinking ability.
I think you can have a unitary government and be pretty free but only if the population is small. When you have populations >20million it seems the government becomes too remote from the people, exists in a class of its own kind and this political and media elite are sufficiently remote from the people they can't even see what they are up to let alone call them out on it. For really big countries like the US, Russia, China, the EU it becomes a huge problem. It's worth noting that the biggest political demonstrations in London were over 1 million strong, whereas the biggest in Washington was 0.5million strong. I think that indicates the logistical problems of peopleaking themselves heard in these vast nations.
I’d like a background on the organization making the list please. I’m not saying that America is perfect by any stretch, but I’d like to know who made the list, and how. It’s a trust but verify thing.
@@rarefruit2320 They aren't the most free but they are definitely not authoritarian compared to most of the middle east, China, Russia/Belarus and a majority of Africa.
Why does having something mandated by your state/provincial government mean you are more free than if its mandated by your national government? If I break either law the consequences will be the same.
First of all, a mandate is NOT a law; and to imply they are synonyms is EXACTLY why speech is turning to 💩 in this country (and perpetually, intentionally being pushed by leftist media). Secondly, Federal laws carry unilateral penalties regardless the state where they are broken. States can choose to punish in excess if they desire, but must (usually) always at least charge the minimum punishment set at the Federal level. Thankfully, States can also vote to nullify (some) Federal laws that they deem unconstitutional. Marijuana possession is one example; and recently, Covid restrictions such as mask use have been nullified in many states.
@@mtcoorscan OK, I may have misused the word mandate since I wasn't clear on the definition. My misuse has nothing to do with a "left" or "right" agenda, its about not reading a dictionary. So feel free to exchange "mandated" for "made law" in my sentence above. I also didn't specify a specific country - your post is very US-centric. Which is why I said state/province - I could have said Oblast, department, Land, canton etc. The basic principle of my argument remains - I don't see why having to abide by a law defined at sub national level makes me "freer" than if that law is applied by the national government as implied in the video. In either case I will be punished. If individual laws are voted on by the people that changes things slightly. And yes, my vote is a larger % of the voting populace at sub national level, but its still my vote against millions and I have little power over what the authority does? Am I 10 times freer if my vote is 1 amongst 10 million rather than 1 amongst 100 million? No.
@@EASYTIGER10 The difference you're still ignoring is that you can choose to live in a state/province where the local laws are more to your liking. For example, in the US, prostitution is actually legal in certain parts of Nevada. No other states offer that. So you CAN be "more free" if the situation allows. Generally though, it is more of a liberal/conservative issue in the US when comparing different States' laws.
@@mtcoorscanBut the issue is that all states or provinces may pass similar laws. Think of the fugitive slave laws or the Jim Crow laws, where it was hard for people to avoid the restrictions that were made because of them.
Bulls**it Ireland was and remains one of the freest nations on Earth. Full Stalin! what the hell does that mean?, are you comparing Ireland to Stalin's Soviet Union?. If you cannot comment without resorting to nonsense maybe the best thing to do is not comment at all but as Ireland is essentially a completely free country you of course have the right to continue but that right does not mean your assertions are correct.
The freedom of vote, is still there, but only if it’s done in one day in person. Since the unverified persons mail in vote and even electronic voting machines the US has mostly lost that freedom too.
An important note: The countries at the top of the list mentioned in this video are both 1. Relatively small - in both land area and population 2. Ethnically homogenous OR there is a very large majority population. Unless I'm mistaken, many US states are larger than Switzerland, Ireland, Estonia or New Zealand. This on it's own makes governing more challenging. In my experience, and you are free to disagree, ALL governmental systems work better the smaller the scale is, simply because there is less to manage, and it is easier to find consensus. This becomes even easier when everyone has a shared historical background, and readily agree on the basic issues. Compare that to the United States, where people have come from all over the world and built up populations that sometimes rival their homeland, and it's obvious why it is more complicated to govern. That said, I concur with the idea that local governments need more power. Someone in a far away Federal capitol has no clue what life is like on the other side of the country, and is in a very poor position to help, even if they want to.
The populations of the countries you mentioned are all more ethnically diverse that most US states!. They are all of course smaller than most US states so you are 50% correct.
Anarchy ≠ Freedom. The US is a truly free country. Others are "Free" in the anarchy dept. In some countries, doing drugs, harassing others, and many other heinous activities are tolerated, and or encouraged. That is not freedom, but a dystopian society.
I am not a US citizen but US is still the most the sought after country by the immigrants as per Gallup poll 2021. Historically USA was most preferred destination mostly because giving libertarian environment even for non-US citizens under its jurisdiction. That's the reason USA became the country that produced most number of innovations in the world and made it wealthier even before the discovery of wealth of natural resources she has. All these countries that "rank" high only because of it welfare schemes funded by natural resources or running the country as a tax haven not by producing tangible goods and services as US does. (Swiss does produce Pharma and high value goods but not even close as US produces)
"Why isn't the U.S. the freest Country in the world." Answer: Liberal Democrats continue to vote for bigger and bigger government. It's really that simple.
I'd agree the U.S. has been moving down, but I don't know how I would sort countries in terms of freedom. like so many other lists though and for reasons others are saying ya, I doubt Switzerland is actually the freest. Just like Finland is the happiest when it has the most suicides.
I lived in US 2006-07 and now I live in Switzerland for almost 10 years. It’s true, in Switzerland the rules and laws are strict but people mostly comply. And the best part is referendums twice a year on issues like for example increase in childcare payments, gay marriage and climate net zero detailed program. I prefer the direct democracy to representative. I think other countries should at least try this approach on a local level.
Direct democracy is mob rule, and all your individual rights can end up criminalized with a simple propaganda campaign that convinces most voters give a right up. It doesn't even take propaganda to convince a city to stomp on the rights of people, as cities inevitably move to collectivism and away from individual rights.
Mob rule (direct democracy) works fine if the mob is intelligent and responsible. These characteristics have been declining rapidly in the USA. Especially in the government!
Declining worldwide, but I agree, it's very highly concentrated in government. Huge chunk of it happening in the cities that dominate the rest of the world too though. Direct democracy really only works well for smaller groups, or groups that have no diversity. Once collectivism, urban vs rural, left vs right, rich vs poor, or any other thing opens up, it's just a recipe for striping individual rights.
Wow! Great video -- and 100% insightful for those of us who still boast the ol' "Rah, rah, Uncle Sam." I've been saying for a long time that civilization reached it's apex in the year 2000, and that it's been downhill ever since. That may in fact be true at least in the USA. Phones got smart, and people got stupid -- all at about the same time. Cry the beloved country! May we some day return to being "land of the free and home of the brave."
Guess the freedom to defend one's own life, and the lives of those they love, is not considered the least bit important by whoever compiles this index.
Considering how we've been jailing people who use guns in defense of themselves and others for the last few years in an insane bid to introduce 'common sense gun control', even if it was high on the list of factors to consider, the US would STILL be taking a nosedive since it doesn't respect that either.
@@Skipper.17 Actually learned that in an American public school nearly 70 years ago and have no problem with Switzerland beating out the USA in that regard. What I was commenting on was that the folks who put that list together consider countries like Japan and a number of the British Commonwealth nations "freer" than the us.
@@paulbingville6485 the only thing that America has on the rest of the world is freedom of speech, that’s something the courts can’t take from you. As for you 2nd amendment, courts have the right to stop you from owning guns and there is also a restriction on the types of guns you can own. British commonwealth countries you can absolutely own a gun. Australia, New Zealand, Canada you can own a gun. Americans think they have a monopoly on freedom but they only look at their first and second amendments.
Sorry but no, firearm ownership is irrelevant. You can be free without having a gun. It's only you Americans that have a right to keep arms that think firearm ownership makes any difference to one's freedom. If having a gun makes you feel safe, then sure, go at it. Though I would personally feel very unsafe with so many people having guns around thinking that one bad day would be enough to get me shot dead.
At the end of this video, you stated, "But thankfully, like Switzerland, the United Stated does have a federalist system." Earlier, you noted that Switzerland is a confederation.
Impossible to do but I pretty much figure rolling back to the original Bill of Rights and starting over might be a good starting point. Another factor is the unchecked immigration into the country and the immigrants refusal to assimilate to the US way of life. I mean it's one of the main points of coming to the US, right? So you end up with more government to address the different needs of different cultures in different areas with different customs and different laws......we need to get back to a core baseline.
I don't care what this list says. I like to visit other countries but the United States is the only place I'd rather live. Damn, somebody's got to stand up for the US around here.
I rather live in a urinal than the US!. My country is wealthy, has affordable private and state healthcare, good infrastructure, an unarmed Police Force, freedom of speech, a free press, excellent work ethic, good untarnished food in quantity, excellent state provided education and access to the EU.
@@kwd3109 I live in a neutral country that has no military alliances with anyone infact my country's constitution prevents military alliance and pacts.
That part is tricky, but the healthcare level is better compared to US and Sweden in my experience. People who can’t afford health insurance can apply for subsidies and deductions. Also, for children up to age of 18 healthcare insurance is very cheap, including dental.
@@lidiastarkova2323 I've known many Swedes from work, comparing healthcare in Sweden to anyone is almost laughable. When those colleagues would visit the US, they would stock their suitcases with Sudafed and NyQuil before heading home. That told me everything I needed to know about "red" healthcare.
Americans have to pay via tax - whether at state or federal level - for police, fire department, defense, social security, socialised healthcare (to which most tax payers are not entitled), education, social security, I could go on. What kind of commie, controlling state is that?
American health care is insanely overpriced and the doctors insanely underqualified. You do NOT get what you pay for. Corperate healthcare sucks...death factory.
Why is anyone trusting international agencies to objectify what is essentially a subjective moral judgment? They have their own ideology of what freedom means.
As an A.erican I think our biggest issue is that most politicians arent flr direct democracy. We cleave to the constitution as it is, even when we were taught it is a living document. Our "leaders" view themselves as better and smarter than the population. They are scared of losing power because it cuts them off the oligarchs' tit. Their pwners keep them in riches while everything's falling apart.
You were taught wrong. It's NOT a "living document". It still means what it meant in 1776 and every amendment still means exactly what each meant the day each was ratified. It's black ink on white paper. It's also LAW. Laws do not change until the text of the law itself is changed.
@xXxDSMer You just said it has amendments, which means it can be amended. Which makes it a living document. Being able to amend the constitution is so it can grow with our society and change with the times.
@@NJT1013the reason why ammendments aren't proposed much anymore is because fewer and fewer people care what it says. Politicians defy the constitution all the time and get away with it because the people are so complacent that the govt could jail their whole family on fake charges and they'd just shrug.
Because for non-pansy, true entrepreneurs (ie those willing to work hard), things like segregation or the right to vote weren't barriers to liberty and the pursuit of happiness, or the accumulation of personal wealth.🤷
American freedom is "we are free" and that is that. Clueless people think that saying "i am free" is freedom. You can't even knowingly send your kids to a school without fear that something might happen, walk down the road and get shot?
Switzerland is the most racially and culturally homogenous country in the world and they only have 8 million people. Considering the U.S. is the most racially and culturally diverse country in the world with over 300 million people, I think we do fairly well.
Being armed to the teeth and fearless, doesn't give an individual any kind of freedom, it just makes them dangerous to themselves and others. I agree that gun ownership is a definite right we the people have to have to remain free, but to use having a gun as some monument to freedom doesn't work, it only antagonizes the warm/fuzzies that don't know anything about guns. We desperately lack in education, the dumbing down of America has become blatant stupidity.
The USA was always at the top until we embraced socialism. Freedom of speech is essential for success as is decentralization. The rule of law is trashed every day. Just look at the scandal in Boston.
@fmayer1507 The USA to this day is one of the most farthest away from other socialism! It's a lie that has been spreading by whoever. Been to diff. countries, lived in the US, now in Europe. No socialism in the US 😉
America hasn't always had a federal system. In 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States. However, ratification of the Articles of Confederation, by all 13 states, did not occur until 1781. They were ineffective and replaced, in 1789, by the Constitution.
A lot easier to do when you have less than 9 million people in a country smaller than many American states, as opposed to 335 million people and a land that spans a continent. Although I agree considering the backward laws being passed in the U.S. restricting women's rights, interference of religion in school systems, and the corruption of the Supreme Court that gives corporations the same rights as individual people.
The good thing is we have many states and many regional areas that give you various rights. The religious can have their community and secular people can have theres etc. The only issue is that civil rights laws keep getting in the way of people having the freedom of association that they want.
Switzerland has a relatively uniform and educated society, where people respect laws. The US is NOT uniform, has a great deal of crime, and people in the US feel they can do anything even if it is to the detriment to their fellow citizens, the environment, etc. That is why the US has needed a big government, which is truly unfortunate. Little government in Switzerland won't result in chaos, but here in the US, with violent minority groups, corrupt businesses and banking institutions, a small government would result in a total s---- show, and we have only ourselves to blame.
Can you own firearms and weapons of self-defense in Switzerland or any of those other countries? Cause I'm pretty sure Ireland and New Zealand you can't. I'm not sure about the rest. Even if you can own them, would you be prosecuted for defending your life or home? I get all the other factors. And those matter more regularly. And in a place that's likely very homogenous in ethnicity and culture (another factor in crime that people refuse to admit) maybe you don't need those freedoms. But in most the United States, we do have that.
If ownership requires military service, getting a license or permit, paying a fee, getting a background check, paying a tax on the purchase, have limits on how much you can have, where you can carry it, what or how you carry, tell you how or where you have to store it, or you have to deal with any other restrictions, then your government is committing a crime against humanity. Such regulations say that your absolute, basic, natural right to keep and bear arms is a privilege that the gvt can do with whatever it wants. Even the US's current legal system treats the right as a privilege. Switzerland doesn't even come close.
@@S0me0ne353 You have a right to live, right? If someone tries to kill you, you have a right to not let them, right? That necessitates a right to the tools and actions to keep yourself alive. If anyone can take it from you, and you yourself have no recourse, your "right" to live is just a privilege that's waiting to be taken from you by a tyrant-whether its a petty thief or government thug. No court can order you back to life afterall. So your right to arms, not just guns, is your right to live.
@@secondamendment1927 thats an isnane amount of mental gymnastics. Let me show you how else your reasoning could be used. "You have a right to food, right? And to make surr you can keep that right, you need to not be dependant on other for said food. Meaning everyone has a right to a plot of farmland." "You have a right to water, right? That means that you would need a well to secure said water without depending on others" "You have a right to a safe work enviroment, right? That means the workers should own the factories so that the workers can ensure a safe work space"
I loved the country when I visited it years ago. Really the only thing I found wrong with it, that was obvious to me, was how expensive it is to live there.
That sounds like Europe. I have no idea how they got European countries to rank so high, or to rank above the US in the first place, but this index seems to be off by a light year. And I'm European and live in the EU too.
I love the US. Even though the freedom of speech became more free for for some and less for the others recently. Career progression based on merit became more limited too.
@CaptainAmerica001 a lot of People refer to US as "America" American is a nationality for people from the US. The full name is United States of America, a country
@@kingdomisaiah4541 "a lot of people *refer* to US as 'America'....The full *name* is United States of America". Correct, the key words in your statement are "refer" & "name". There is no country named America. There's a continent named America. It's in the official "full name" of the United States🇺🇲 👉OF👈 AMÉRICA 🌎 So how can 'American' be a nationality if America is not a country to begin with!?
@CaptainAmerica001 people in Canada don't call themselves "Americans" they refer to themselves as "Canadians", just like people in Europe & Asia don't refer to themselves as Asians or Europeans they refer to their nationality of their respective countries in the continent of Europe & Asia. America "Americans" doesn't represent all of North & South America. American only refers to people from the US. You can look this up on Google
America "United States" not being the most freest country in the world is problematic & concerning for me. America should be one of the freest in the world. America is still a free country at least but has flawed Democracy thanks a lot to certain party's antics in recent years & months in certain states. Not looking good
It was already bad when Trump was the president from 2017-2021 but it'll get worse if Ron DeSantis Vivek Ramaswamy or Robert F. Kennedy wins the election next year in late 2024 & gets presidency in 2025@@rarefruit2320
Everyone in Switzerland is permitted to carry a gun. Many do. The difference is that they must not be loaded until they arrive at a regulated shooting range. How many deaths by gunshot are recorded in Switzerland….. ZERO !!!!
The Philippines is the most democratic country in the world, here active rebel groups have their own representatives in both congress and senate, you can badmouth, threathen or even call for the murder of politicians, while the politicians can also do the same to you! see democracy for everyone!
The human freedom index is put together by an organization called CATO institution. This organization is funded by Charles Koch. So here is a list of all the things the CATO institution is lobbying for; anti tax policies-this is lower taxes for corporations and the wealthy, not lower taxes for middle class, support for privatization of government services- police, fire departments, ect, privatization of schools, privatization of water resources, social security privatization, opposition to Wallstreet reform, opposition to campaign finance reform, amplification of climate change denial- they want corporations to be able to pollute as much as they want, privatization of roads, they objected to a cigarette tax and aligned with philip morris, and support for Bush's civil liberty restrictions. In short CATO is a billionaires club to promote the betterment of them selves at the expense of everyone else. So I don't care if they think American isn't free.
Freedom is a subjective issue and will mean different things to different people and cultures. For example, in the UK you are free to do whatever you want unless there is a law against it. On the continent, you can only do things that you are allowed to do but both are considered free. In Germany, you are not allowed to mow your lawn on a Sunday. In the UK you can. Is this an attack on the German citizens' freedoms?
When your country is run by corporations rather than the voters, your country isn't going to be free. That is essentially what the US is. Except on social issues, It doesn't matter who you vote for since both parties are paid off by the same corporations.