Stossel: How Free Are You?
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- Are you living in the freest country in the world? Not if you live in the United States.
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Are you living in the freest country? Not if you live in the United States.
The new "Human Freedom Index" by the Fraser and Cato Institutes ranks countries by both economic freedom-like freedom to trade, amount of regulations, and tax levels-and personal freedom-such as women's rights and religious freedom.
America rose seven spots in the latest report, to number 17. But it's still far from where it once was.
Report co-author Ian Vasquez tells John Stossel that America "used to be a two, three, or four. And then government started to grow. It started to spend more." President Bush signed the Wall Street bailouts and increased regulations. Obama continued increasing regulations and upped America's top tax rate.
Stossel says a good ranking matters, not just because it's good to be free, but because freedom allows people to prosper.
The countries near the top of the rankings, like Switzerland and Hong Kong, tend to have less government. Stossel says places with less government are better places to live.
The top of the list:
Switzerland
Hong Kong
New Zealand
The bottom:
Libya
Venezuela
Syria
You can see the entire ranking here: www.cato.org/h...
Freedom is the ability to own your own body and the fruits of your labour. And by that metric, few of us are free.
Lol thanks for the courtesy. You, my friend, are a unicorn.
Thats fair. I was using the standard Rothbardian syntax. I meant our income and possessions, not the greater impact on society; the immediate tangible results of work.
Mo Goff So are we supposed to follow a “Right-Wing Populist” program to obtain this freedom?
Cut taxes, rid the cities if bums and vagrants, promote church teachings in schools, etc?
Cause when you refer to Rothbard, something tells me you did not read up on his Right-Wing Populist Program from 1992...
U would be right. I have read "For A New Liberty" which preaches tolerance and separation of church and state. I believe it supersedes anything else by him because I pin my ethics to an idea; not a man. And BTW i do not support ridding society of bums or populism :)
Mo Goff You are being sold a bridge that’s busted. The problem with their ideal of Libertarianism is all about “ME.”
Hong Kong is prosperous because there is MASSIVE wealth inequality. (Also, it’s a CITY, not a country.)
Venezuela is in its place, because of Sabotage (and because they tried to flee the IMF.)
Syria is crap last, BECAUSE OF AN OIL PIPELINE...
China is in its position - mostly due to Capitalism. (Heaven forbid it says “Made in Hong Kong...”)
Europe? They have *STRONG* UNIONS, enforce bans and regulations, and even have a strong Social Democrat leaning (to the point of them being Socialist...)
But you see, despite all that, you still get Far-Right parties on the rise in Europe... CATO and Fraser are Right Wing Thinktanks...
People like Rothbard tend to work at places like these, and are meant to mislead you, rather than help.
“Capitalism when it succeeds, Corporatism when it fails.”
The list of American freedoms gets shorter and shorter each year. No body seems to care no body seems to mind. We have the illusion of freedom that’s about it.
I agree we need to do away with victimless crimes
@@radiantvibez1507
I prefer to call them
Victimless Activities,
The "Freedom" in America is a Joke
You can thank your debilitating education system for that.
Fun fact: In Ireland, if you wish to start a business you don't even need to apply to become one. The conditions are pretty simple, you sign on as a sole trader (meaning your earnings are basically considered an income and deducted through income tax and not as a dividend) accept unlimited liability (no government bailouts if you fuck up) and put your name in the business and boom, you're legally a sole trader in Ireland and can do business
NotSoSober Gamer hallelujah
Sounds a lot like a "Sole Proprietor" in the U.S.
Yeah it's like that except they don't have special local licensing requirements for as many trade skills. Many have bonding requirements such as liability insurance but it is more lenient than in the US and many requirements are just signatures instead of mandatory state-run training requirements.
ysdom that's good to know. I've all but given up on becoming a "licensed" plumber in my state even though I can pass the test I don't meet the other time consuming, meaningless requirements.
But still no guns. That's not free. You're free to do what they say to do or that you can do. As long as that's all you want to do fine but decide not to listen to them and see how free you are. Here we can at least die for our principles fighting back. You won't live but you can fight. Not since the RA has Ireland been willing or able to keep and protect Erin or her liberty's. Don't get me wrong I thank God for your freedom today but fear it's demise may be at hand. I may be protestant but the republic must be preserved for all Irish.
We brag a lot about how great we are, but it's been a fiction by many measures, for a long time
" . . . It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them. "
Mark Twain
Australia is surprising, considering the total firearms ban.
Emmett Turner and high taxes, to my understanding.. and at least partially socialized medicine.
Emmett Turner says something about the state of American freedoms....
Not as surprising as Hong Kong, which jails student protesters.
Firearms aren't essential for human freedom. They are "nice" to have, but they are not required. Though I support the right to bear arms, and kinda side with not having a black market for anything (i.e. making anything illegal) as long as that market doesn't directly violate someones else's rights (i.e. stolen goods, hit men, etc.), I don't think I would miss the right to bear arms.
The Obsesed Anime Freaks Part of being free is being self reliant... free to protect your freedoms and not relying on a government to do that for you. You aren’t truly free if you can’t prevent someone from taking that freedom or the fruits of it. It basically means the government and criminals will always be in charge. No real freedom. I’m not a gun owner, but I understand it.
The world slowly got better--except the United States
True
Interesting fact:
If you cross examine the current Human Freedom Index with the World Happiness Report, you'll find the "good ole US of A" at the exact same rank, 18. In fact, quite a few of the freest countries have similar happiness rankings. It's almost as if freer societies create the happiest people 🤔
I want a stossel frisbee so bad
“Stossel frisbee” doesn’t roll off the tongue. Let’s give it a name to celebrate freedom. “Freebie!”
HA HA HA HA HA!!!!! LOL!!!! Comment of the Day!
I don't see how Ireland can be so high on the freedom list, women can't get an abortion in Ireland and there are blasphemy laws. In Ireland you have no right to assisted suicide if terminally ill . In Ireland the Censorship of Publications Acts and the Censorship of Films Acts allow censorship of publications like books, films and DVDs.
I'd rather have the freedom to open a business without being harassed by govt than the "freedom" to murder a child.
Although censorship is bad.
veedub447 In fact one of the most famous works of Irish literature ulyess was banned until 1960.
Fun fact the first country to legalize abortion was the Soviet Union?
They're fetuses tho
damn
The Land of the Free - Switzerland
No all countries deserve freedoms but America is more free than that country everybody from that country is awesome though
@@koffiecake "America is more free than that country"
Nope. The Us leads ZERO freedom indices, several nations outrank it in ALL of them.
Apparently freedom of speech and the right to self-defense (not necessarily even talking about guns) is not considered on this list because several of the countries ranked higher than us have almost zero freedom in these areas. What kind of economic freedom can you have if you're not allowed to say what's on your mind or protect what's yours?
"You aren't free if you worry about being killed." So maybe we should address all the mass shootings in the U.S. with better access to mental health, banning assault weapons and having basic background checks.
Scott Palma "Assault weapons" is a incredibly vague term and only the media and ignorant politicians use it. We already have basic background checks not that it matters because the vast majority on gun related deaths are either suicides or homicides committed with stolen guns which are also usually a handgun, not an "assault weapon." Get your facts straight.
@@SaintSC05 exactly that's why Europeans need to stay out our business
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
Abyssinia Empire godammit you sound like my alumni econ teacher
I had free lunch today. It was delicious.
"If we continue on the road we have been going, if we continue to rely more and more on government and less and less on the individual, we are condemned to a future of tyranny and misery." -- Milton Friedman
Welcome to the future.
namefinder you didn’t though
1234 5678 government doesn’t get a free lunch either, the lunch still cost the creator a lot, the government stole the lunch but that doesn’t make the lunch free.
Stossel 2020?
Problem is, people disagree on what "freedom" means. To some, it could mean for instance, the freedom to come out as gay and not lose your job over it. But you'd need rules that forbid employers to fire people simply because they don't like gay people. Many people in the U.S. see the right to discriminate as basic freedom.
Or how about the freedom to send your kids to a university even when you're poor. That would mean the state would have to pay part of it, which means higher taxes, which again many Americans would consider less freedom.
Or one could consider the right to have an abortion a basic freedom. While others again feel that they should have the freedom to force their beliefs onto others and forbid abortions in "their" community.
In my experience, when Americans talk about freedom they often mean something completely different than Europeans.
true but why nobody talks how much freedom they have in their properties if you bought it or paying for it means you own that piece of land but in most countries like USA and Europe chr even add anything without asking permission why has to be that way then who owns the property you or the government there is no perfect country in the world they all have problems but what I like about Mexico is that you really own property you can build whenever you want any shape size or whatever you choose where to build in you own property nobody cares if you have can add more rooms or 2nd floor or whatever you want you design build and do everything yourself or hire a mason but no need a blue print for nothing you tell the masons how you want your home to be build nobody interferes coz it's your property 100% now the one millionsl question people be saying why Mexicans come to USA answer is to work and work has nothing to do with freedom 2 different things
now another example let's say you have a job somewhere get pay 20 dllrs an hour and across the street are jobs paying 60 or 80 an hour wouldn't you will go work there of l course you wil... same thing with us if jobs will pay more in Mexico I will leave tomorrow. I prefer to work hard 10 or 15 years in USA and save as much as I can after paying taxes and rent food etc then go back home and retire myself instead of work 50 years to get retire does it make sense if I stay in USA or in Mexico permanently I have to work atleat 50 years straight to be able to retire but if I only work in USA 10 or 15 years save as much I can like I said guaranteed you I can retire in Mexico and no need to work for at least 20 years with my savings if I invest part of it in small business even better I can just be home nomneed to work at all
How is australia that high? We have total firearm bans, huge tax rates, plenty of retarted laws designed for profit and huge business regulations and government subsidies
We dont even have freedom of speech
connor mavridis didn’t understand that either mate
Yeah. I don't put a lot of stock in it. The 2017 report gives Australia a 10.0 (highest) rating in same sex relationships from 2008-2015. Yet same sex marriage wasn't even legal until december. How you get the best possible rating when same sex couples can't even get married is beyond me.
We don't have total firearms bans it is a myth. If you don't have a major criminal conviction in the last 10 years and are not a perpetrator of domestic violence you can get a permit for long arms and/or handguns which you keep at home. I live in Sydney and I am a responsible gun owner. Better to do a little research before making statements which are false.
@@connormavridis3203 damn
I'm completely free, I don't charge a nickel😉
crap... I can't call up Philip...
@@koffiecake canada is number 4 and us is 15th or 16th in 2021
I would rank the US higher simply because we still have actual free speech. None of that "hate speech" bullcrap.
Free speech are you sure??!!
Who's watching this in 2021, realizing that now 187 nations are about equally as "free?"
Yep!
The best thing that poorer countries can do is to get the government out of the way and allow a free market to prosper.
If you have to pretend to be someone you’re not rather than being your true self, you’re not free.
I see a lot of commenters arguing about where countries stand on this list. Perhaps the real value of a "freedom" list is to start discussions about what freedom is and what freedoms we should value more. As well as how to make nations and the world overall more free.
Has anyone here actually lived in Switzerland? I have a friend who lives there, he tells me the regulations are suffocating. You have regulations for everything. You can't flush the toilet after certain time at night, you can't even use the sink water after midnight. You have 10 different types of ways to throw your garbage all regulated and strictly enforced. Maybe they have economic freedom, but they certainly do not have social freedom, you are much more free in America than you are in Switzerland.
Yes. He said the French side is more relaxed, while the German side is severe.
I was gonna say that provinces are vastly different
Nur Jan
Gay marriage isn't freedom. It's an oxymoron if anything.
森 太翔 the flushing toilet and sink thing at night is a myth...
When politically biased people conduct studies, this is what you get, pure garbage.
Did you know that America is the worlds freest country
Wow, I'm impressed I haven't liked a Stossel video this much in a really long time
Connor Kenway Perfectly ORWELLIAN I’d say. And *misleading* too to boot. Stossel must be working overtime.
Then again, Reason were known to publish highly racist pieces back in the 70’s and then some... and not to mention the people that make up the Right-Wing Libertarian Party’s ideals...
Hong Kong is a city, not a country. Most of Europe have STRONG UNIONS attached to them, and as for the “low regulations” part? Most of those regulations are HIGHLY NEEDED regulations, as they got rid of the obsolete ones... not to mention they enforce the laws as well.
1234 5678- I would like to see this debate channel, but the link said it is discontinued. 😐
Mainstream media despises real journalism.
I don’t think all of what people call women’s rights add freedom, though. The woman’s right to murder her infant isn’t something that adds freedom , I don’t think we should count lack of laws against rape, theft, and murder as more freedom.
Whoa, Switzerland is at the top now?
Honestly its my preferred. I'm a not biased. Hong Kong isn't great on individual rights and New Zealand doesn't like guns. Switzerlands gun laws aren't as liberal as Americas, but its not very far behind. It also has a SIGNIFICANTLY lower homicide rate, I learned that today fact checking a meme on Facebook.
Glad to see freedom has blessed them. As it does.
rating the freedom of a country by owning a firearm is stupid.
That Hong Kong is number two shocks me immensely, considering the amount that the PRC government is trying to wedge themselves into everything under the sun regarding oversight and control politics.
Just goes to show that people can disagree vastly on what "freedom" actually means.
I'm lucky enough to have been born with dual citizenship - US and German - and I've lived my entire life in germany. But the more I look around me, the more I see how much paperwork I need to fill out just to do meanial things, the more I see my freedom of speech supressed, the more I am considering actually moving to the US. Maybe there's a strong cultural difference to what I'm used to here, it might even be more dangerous than germany, but that's a risk I'd be willing to take if it meant I was more free.
US is one of the only countries that has citizen based taxation instead of residence based. So even if you are an American in another country you have to tell the US what your wages are and what your company makes. That is not free.
I've traveled the world and the U.S. is one of the least free societies I've seen.
If you really want to test how free your country is, try to start your own radio or TV station and then watch what they make you do before you can broadcast the simplest thing.
Hong Kong definitely fell in 2019-2020 didn't it 🤦
Australia used to be one of my "heroes," if you will... awesome country with awesome people. Crocodile Dundee was of course the stereotype that got me started, but then I heard of a place where Everything's Trying to Kill You, yet a nation started with criminals exported from another country became a nation of badass pioneers doing well for themselves.
And then Yahtzee (from Zero Punctuation) pointed out that the Australian government has decided that adults don't have the right to decide what sort of video games they can play. That even after voting in the equivalent of an R rating -- "kids can't play this game" at its most basic -- somehow there are still games that aren't even allowed that much.
That's when I completely lost all respect for Australia. They live in a place where sea creatures, spiders, and tiny insects can kill you, and they're worried about adults playing games with blood and guts and gore, with sex and violence and with drug use. It's nanny-state nonsense. (I would say that I crossed Australia off the list of "places I might someday want to visit," but I wasn't brave enough to test the waters to begin with, so I guess that's pointless.)
ruclips.net/video/xbbdk68-Mfc/видео.html
America was also ranked #17 in 2020, so why do they call itself land of the free?
if the statistics show they're less free than the most of the EU countries?
this is bullshit
"why do they call itself land of the free?"
Arrogance.
@@quanbrooklynkid7776 how so?
worldpopulationreview.com/countries/freest-countries/
this is the earliest statistics from 2020
This list seems bullshit.
SaintSC05 yeah, Ireland is losing a lot of civil freedom, and yet it’s actually going up in the rankings.
This seems to associate freedom with business success and economic growth. And yet China (rank 130) has had tremendous growth pulling more people out of poverty in 20 years than the world had seen in the previous ... forever.
Freedom should be enjoyed for its own sake, but doesn't necessarily correlate with growth.
It’s funny that the country that’s filled with Viking Descendants have the most freedom in the world
Freedom 👹we don't need no stinking freedom
U.S is goanna be 30th place in few years.
"You Have The Freedom To Defend The World's Freedom; And I Have The Freedom To Continue Moving Forward" ~Eren Jeager
One is not free if one has to spend all of ones time working just to pay ones bills. One is not free if ones privacy is always suspect.
Joyce Koch 👏🏽 yes exactly I see how hard these dump sheeple work just to pay for a overpriced lifestyle. I short of feel sorry for these fools what a shame
"Women's rights"!? What about Men's rights? Why are those not important? We definitely need more of those in western countries, and we need more legal protection!
When naming Yemen, Libya and Sirya as bottom of the list due to war.. please note how the US started wars in all of those countries. Bringing freedom and democracy
Keep it up stossel. !
America Ranked no.1 as of 2022
An interesting study that leaves me with more questions than answers.
What's wrong with paying taxes if you get subsidised healthcare, public transportation, infrastructure, water and electricity, free education.... Why are Americans so allergic to taxes? When they see crumbling Bridges, broken healthcare system and so on...
Yeah not surprising......
Of course, what matters to us individuals is which particular freedoms we are most interested in. For example Australia is not free regarding firearms, so to many of us we'd be less happy there.
How does owning fire arms make you more free ? You can have guns in the uk
Switzerland sounds like a good place to live.
Well our School System isnt the best and we have quite a bit of bureaucratic nonsense, for example if a law gets passed by the vote of the people, 10 days later and there will be a petition against the law that has just been passed In terms of Freedom, for example in the USA in some states a vehicle with under 50ccm is regarded as a bicycle, so if you put one of these bike conversion kits from china on your bike it will be illegal in switzerland but legal in some states in the USA.
(The worlds freedoms have gotten better) Just not America
When I was younger I thought any of this mattered to us. The only thing that we get out of this is bread potatoes cheeses, alcohol and oil. None of us normals are allowed to go anywhere
The funny thing about this video is that the position it's pushing is in direct contradiction to the rankings. For example, nearly every, if not all, of the countries in front of us have some form of a government healthcare system whether through a single payer or price controls. Because of this, in the US you have millions of people spending more than half of their day doing work they don't want to do at a job they detest solely because they are afraid of losing their healthcare. Is that freedom?
so universal healthcare actually gives more freedom is what u are saying
@@mauriciorv228 I don't think it's really a question. If you are waking up every morning to go to a job you dislike for half of the day are you truly free? Plus, universal systems are more efficient and, thus, save people money.
@@KC-ex7pr agree
In Australia we have reasonable gun laws so people don't live in fear. We also have universal healthcare so we don't worry about our health. Maybe the US needs to take a few cues.
Nah we good foh
@@quanbrooklynkid7776 good for what?
Whooooo!! You go Stossel!!
Hopefully, in the future, there will be a huge group at the top that is so free that ranking them makes little sense when it comes to making decisions based on the metrics they measure.
Norway scores higher than the land of the free home of the brave, thats great :D Yes I will have my cake and eat it too :P
Their that free states cant even become independent unless they want a war with the u.s
Someone recently called the ambulance on me after I passed out. Only in the great ole USA, is that a bad thing. Now I’m in financial debt and facing homelessness. I don’t blame the Good Samaritan that called for help. I blame the system.
It’d be nice if I could sell my skills in the form of a service to help me pay for these ridiculous fees that I’m facing but nope, that’s not an option for someone like me who isn’t authorized to do so. I gotta keep relying on corporate America (my employer) to make money.
Everyone wishes to step on canadian soil. But i have been standing on it for my whole life, It's AMAZING! to live in. Theres so much freedom.... That theres not that much racism there!!!!!
Wow.. to think that i libe in the freeest nation in the world... it never occured to me like thst but wow.. im so lucky!
But now it really doesnt suprise me.. Switzetland is the only country in europe that allows its citizens to have arms... but not in public..
The problem with a freedom ranking is that freedom is binary: you either can do you wish provided you don't interfer with others doing as they wish, or you cant. Anything other than this, and it's all just what parts of freedom are more available to you.
for instance, I'm not an alt-righter, and I can at least pretend to not be political in public, but I also like money, so being able to shout "The jews will not replace us", "muslims go home", or "screw the CCP" would register as having zero effect on my freedom, but a high tax rate or regulatory burden would register as a heavily negative effect on my freedom.
America is still highrr in personal freedom i.e. freedom of speech, religion & etc. but unfortunately we have allowed the federal government to over step its bounds.
May my chains rest lightly on my shoulders. We are as free as our masters let us be.
I'm calling BS on any country that doesn't include a strong defense of the RKBA. The most fundamental right we have is the right of self-defense. In relatively monocultural nations, that can work well during peace time, but add any pressures (like third world migration) and it all goes to hell.
sweetcara14 I agree, I find it odd that we’re not on top, of only because we have the right to freedom of speech and the right to bear arms in our constitution. People in America take it for granted and think we’re not really that free and that freedom of speech is bad, but in reality we’re one of if not the onto country, even now, to have the right to freedom of speech protected
America has little more right to bear arms than any other country. Not because they are free to do so, but because we are as restrictive. The right to bear arms died when the ATF was instituted.
Switzerlands gun laws are very similar to ones in the US. They also have freedom of speech, although it's to an extent. It is illegal to deny the Armenian genocide and the holocaust. Which are both historical truths, so there shouldn't be denial of either. However, it is limiting that you cannot have you own opinion on these events, even if the truth is common knowledge. It sure is weird and conflicting.
It all depends on where in the country you live. NY and CA are the equivalent of living behind the iron curtain, while many parts of the south and midwest are much freer. But yes, the ATF is a blight on our nation and should be disbanded.
sweetcara14
"As of 23 March 2017, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas[disputed], Idaho (residents only), Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota (residents only; concealed carry only),[8] Vermont, West Virginia[9] and Wyoming (residents only) do not require a permit to carry a loaded concealed firearm for any person of age who is not prohibited from owning a firearm. Permitless carry in Idaho, North Dakota and Wyoming is applicable to residents only; non-residents must have a permit to carry a concealed handgun in these states. All aforementioned jurisdictions do not require a permit to openly carry either except for North Dakota and certain localities in Missouri."
Freedom is a mindset and a choice to live by your own rules beliefs and not be oppressed by anyone else’s ideas on how you should live if you smoke weed and it’s illegal where you live your free !!!
Your always free do disobey and Resist any all Authority you don’t agree with !!
Hopefully Americans can now accept that other countries also have freedom.
mystery guest I do. I just wish we were all more free. I like it when people do well. (Even if it isn't me...)
No one actually thinks that.
If only the list considered social freedom.
SaintSC05 look at comments, people saying that America has gotten less free but still should be number 1.
That has nothing to do with the comment I replied too. No one thinks that other countries don't have freedoms.
I just came from Mexico they are way more free and Mellow over there.
I can send my Australian children to school knowing they're coming home alive. American parents don't have that luxury. The US is not free.
I like going to other countries. They tend to have a lot of laws that no one cares to enforce. In our country when a law is passed there are hundreds of enforcement agencies who get their money by raiding the citizenry
I found out that people are not Really free in America, in the 1990s when the internet was first installed in public libraries the Defense Agency DARPA was in charge of monitoring the Computer terminals , Because at the time they was unsure how and Who would use it for what purpose , ex.Foreign intelligence agents,I made the mistake of Trying to Hack the early Internet workstation, for Learning purposes I used the TCP IP command TCP dump, and the Internet Application existed and a list of Router and IP address scrolled through the screen ,at the time they were called Brouter, this was before Us robotics, Cisco and 3Comm Standardized the Network interface cards and Routers. I Noticed Men in Suits Watching me between book Shelves,who I assumed were Researcher and Scientist , because I was in the main Central research library, These men Spooked me, so much I immediately Ieft the library Scared Out my mind.Then I understood why they Call CIA , agent and Intelligence Agents in general " Spook's"
The most important freedom is freedom of speech. The USA Trumps all others in this area.
What about the right of self defense and to own firearms? Name me a country that’s better in those ways than the US!
"Freedom" in America is a misnomer. There is no more freedom in the US compared to the average EU state. And when it comes to women, they have more freedom in countries like Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Belgium (do I need to say more?) than in the US. After having lived in Europe for a good portion of my life I applaud the US for the career opportunities it has given me, but I don't feel more freedom here or in the EU.
Nobody has personal freedom if you don’t wish to stop halfway where it suits you, you are never totally free to make a choose without consequence. The reality is that we should call it selective reasoning where you can pretend you have the right of choice until someone reminds you of the responsibilities that come with it .
Damn…. R.I.P Hong Kong
Consider this:
America has the highest incarceration count on the planet. In other words: it's the best at doing the one thing that takes away people's freedom.
I just want people to be able to own mach-2 capable strike fighters.
fuck government regulation
It's great that there is a list so we can all shop for a new tax plantation if we'd be interested in emigrating. We're all tax slaves on a global tax plantation because there isn't a square foot of land on the planet that doesn't have a government that considers you its slave. It's Slavery 2.0. The slaves feed themselves, clothe themselves and select their own slave labor that maximizes their productivity so the state's cut is maximized. It's much more efficient than the previous version of slavery.
Any time there is a claim on the product of your labor, you are a slave. Whether you're 28% a slave, or 33% a slave or 50% a slave is only a matter of degree.
I bet Hongkong is pretty free by now
How do measure freedom?
New Zealand, 3rd freest country!? They want to ban smoking in all public spaces!
The American explaining about holiday's available to the workforce failed to mention that the national minimum by law in the USA is ZERO!!! 🤣🤣🤣
I like this channel, but it’s a naive and hand-waiving argument to brand ‘low taxes and less regulation’ as the reasoning for these freedoms. Firstly you should be more specific; what regulations were removed, which taxes were lowered, etc. Secondly, I cannot speak on behalf of all the countries mentioned, but as an Irish man I can tell you that our government is heavily authoritarian and all of our political parties are democratic socialist, having changed from a historically socialist background. Our taxes are enormous, and our regulations are heavy. I am curious as to how that index calculates its rankings.
It's more of a political issue, USA may not have the highest notes according to some statistics made, but has always been the one figthing for the freedom, it is the nation that stud up to Germany, Russia, and now recently China, now, the real question is, "not what the country can do for you, but what can you do for your country?"(JFK)
They don't seem to consider how often right are use in the ranking. This is a important because it does matter. A right that nobody uses because they can't afford to won't have the same impact as one used every day.
Wasting money on the military and 6-10 other country's military budgets total that of the U.S. combined.
Yeah, freedom to other people but not ourselves. Good job.
Wow, 17th?
black titan By an ORWELLIAN title’s index? Not surprising at all.
obama
I'll probably make someone or even myself feel rather stupid, so I apologize in advance. Hong Kong is not a country. Sure it's a Special Administrative Region, and maintains a separate legal and economic system, but it is ultimately part of China and is governed by Chinese sovereignty.
Thank you so much John, I was considering a move to syria. However, perhaps that is not a good idea !
You can't take freedom alone. You also have to compare security and quality of life. Take that into account, the US sinks even more.
As the (ancient) Greeks once said, *No Government = No Freedom*
@Naaziiiss Burninhell Yeah, too much government isn't a good thing. But no government is also not a very good thing. A more libertarian government is ideal
@Naaziiiss Burninhell Well, anarchy is essentially the most extreme form of libertarianism. I mean we be somewhat happier living in anarchy, but we couldn't really get much done. Considering currencies probably don't hold their weight, that's a good and bad thing. Good being that nobody's in crippling debt. Bad being that we would have to trade everything we want or need. If there was a universal currency, then it might work. However it's very unlikely there would be a universal currency. Even if there was, we don't know that it would or wouldn't work. So, anarchy sounds like a good thing, but it isn't super great in theory, when you cover the fine details
@Naaziiiss Burninhell I'm all for this idea. Although here's a question, what vaccine(s) cause people to turn into zombies? Also, if rich people get vaccinated, are they exempt from becoming a zombie?
@Naaziiiss Burninhell That makes almost everything make sense. But we shouldn't forget that dihydrogen monoxide being in 100% of all water is a possible suspect. In short, it's the darn dihydrogen monoxide that's a factor in turning people to zombies
I would buy one of those yellow Stossel frisbees to hang up on my wall to show my support of that excellent "Is America #1" special report. :-) it would be a talking piece for my home
Fantastic video. Bravo!
My home country Argentina ranks 148th in terms of freedom. Place is beautiful, but not so free.
17th is fine.
Looking at Hong Kong.... this aged well
One of the reasons that we've fallen is because we let everything be "a right." In particular, we punish people for things like not catering gay weddings because of religious conviction. "Religious conviction" or not, no one has a "right" to your business. Your business is your private property. You have the right to choose you clientele for any reason. Look at places like elite dance clubs and restaurants that won't serve people for things like attire, appearance (looks, weight, and such), or social status. Just because you have a right to bitch about it, you have no right to force ANY business owner to serve you. of course, this is all because of the "perception of oppression" found in all of these "protected groups" that we've created.
This list is heavily biased toward economic freedom which is a good thing but should not be the only factor.