Free pizza

Freedom to own balls

五毛

Social scorn and the consequences thereof has existed everywhere for at least as far back as history is recorded. It doesn't need to be quantified into a number to be a permanent basis of public shame though.

Plus some of these consequences are extra-legal. It's not the government jacking up your insurance rates, shadow banning you. Freedom isn't a one way street y'know. People are free to judge you as they see fit, and there are consequences for that if they judge you poorly. Not everybody has to be your friend or ally, or provide you with trust (especially when you have proven to be untrustworthy). That is not the government's fault.

They have the freedom to insult their potus and burn the flag. The USA is a quite fascist country, maybe just California is not like that.

Originally posted by Tonepoet:

Social scorn and the consequences thereof has existed everywhere for at least as far back as history is recorded. It doesn't need to be quantified into a number to be a permanent basis of public shame though.

Plus some of these consequences are extra-legal. It's not the government jacking up your insurance rates, shadow banning you. Freedom isn't a one way street y'know. People are free to judge you as they see fit, and there are consequences for that if they judge you poorly. Not everybody has to be your friend or ally, or provide you with trust (especially when you have proven to be untrustworthy). That is not the government's fault.

True. One individual judging another isn't the same thing as government punishing or rewarding people based on how much they carry water for the party in power. If you lie to defend your government in China, your social score goes up. If you do it in the US, other people might call you a shill, government isn't going to reward you for it. Completely different things.

Originally posted by Arvaos:

How can America become the land of the free again?

It's doubtful they have ever been in recent-ish times. Their current problems did NOT just start with Trump; he's just putting the pedal to the metal.

Their main problem is that they are basically saying "freedom = anarchy" -- the rule of the strongest, richtest, whatever. if you can afford it, no rules apply to you.

Elsewhere, freedom is more about the people being free of oppression or fear.

Originally posted by Ulfrinn:

Originally posted by Tonepoet:

Social scorn and the consequences thereof has existed everywhere for at least as far back as history is recorded. It doesn't need to be quantified into a number to be a permanent basis of public shame though.

Plus some of these consequences are extra-legal. It's not the government jacking up your insurance rates, shadow banning you. Freedom isn't a one way street y'know. People are free to judge you as they see fit, and there are consequences for that if they judge you poorly. Not everybody has to be your friend or ally, or provide you with trust (especially when you have proven to be untrustworthy). That is not the government's fault.

True. One individual judging another isn't the same thing as government punishing or rewarding people based on how much they carry water for the party in power. If you lie to defend your government in China, your social score goes up. If you do it in the US, other people might call you a shill, government isn't going to reward you for it. Completely different things.

Study after study has show that human behavior changes when we know we’re being watched. Under observation, we act less free, which means we effectively are less free.
Edward Snowden