While I am extremely critical of the U.S. government, I do acknowledge that there are a lot of positive things for Americans to look at. While sometimes it seems that the grass is greener on the other side, this isn’t usually so for Americans.
The U.S. empire is certainly a problem, as the U.S. government is involved in the business of almost every country on the planet. But this is just as much, or more, a problem for those in other countries, particularly those that have seen war.
In terms of economics, there are certainly some smaller countries that are more economically free than the U.S., such as Singapore and Hong Kong. However, in comparison to most other big countries, the U.S. is a relatively good place to do business.
There are actually three areas in particular that stand out to me where Americans are far more free than almost anywhere else on Earth. It’s not that the U.S. is perfect or that the government is not involved at all in these areas. It’s just that Americans tend to have more control in these areas than the government.
Gun Ownership
The first major issue that stands out is gun ownership.
Americans own by far the most guns out of anyone. This isn’t referring to government agents such as police and the military. This means your average citizen.
Switzerland is thought of as a gun friendly state, and it certainly is compared to most of Western Europe. But Americans own by far the most guns on a per capita basis.
In Switzerland, much of the gun ownership is from government-issued guns, so those don’t get counted. But regardless, Switzerland is a small country and much of the citizenry is armed because it is forced by the government. In the U.S., Americans voluntarily go out and buy firearms.
There are certainly gun control laws and some cities are particularly bad. You would be better off in Switzerland than somewhere such as New York City or Chicago. But overall, the U.S. is well armed and it serves as a great symbol against government tyranny. It is no coincidence that most tyrannical governments disarm the citizens as a first priority.
Homeshcooling
Another area, that is really taken for granted by most Americans, is the issue of homeschooling. Again, the U.S. is far from perfectly free in this area and the laws vary between states.
But in most states, almost anyone has the ability to choose to homeschool their children with fairly minimal bureaucratic hoops to jump through.
Compare this to someplace like Germany, where it is essentially outlawed. There was a story last year about a family seeking asylum in the U.S. for homeschooling in Germany. The parents faced jail time.
In most first-world countries, homeschooling is either made difficult by the government or almost completely outlawed. In the last couple of decades, homeschooling has flourished in the U.S., as more parents realize that the government schools are more for indoctrination than basic learning.
Free Speech
The third area where Americans are well off is with free speech.
This isn’t just about the First Amendment, although it probably helps. Most Americans have a general respect for free speech. It is generally accepted that people can share their opinions about things, even if it is a seemingly bad opinion.
It’s not to say that there aren’t consequences for saying things. It’s just that the government should not use force or the threat of force to prevent people from saying things.
This issue really stands out right now with the shootings that just happened in Paris. There were massive demonstrations by people to supposedly proclaim their advocacy of free speech.
Yet during those same demonstrations, the French government brought up charges on dozens of people for “hate speech”. In other words, people in France are only allowed free speech if it is an opinion that is within acceptable boundaries. If you deny the Holocaust happened according to conventional opinion, then you can go to jail in France. This is true in many countries in Europe.
And many of these hate speech laws are in effect in many parts of Western Europe. We aren’t talking China here.
Of course, free speech is useless if it doesn’t include unpopular opinions. It is particularly useless if you can’t question history or question the government or criticize the government.
In the U.S., Americans really are mostly free in this respect. There are exceptions. But if you have a computer and Internet access, you can say almost anything you want, as long as you aren’t threatening people. Even in the cases where the government has tried to crack down, it seems that the people end up at least winning their case against the government in the end.
Practice What You Preach
This isn’t to say that Americans should take any of these things for granted. We always have to remain vigilant to protect liberty.
In fact, it isn’t just a matter of talking to friends about these issues and others. It is also about practicing what you can. It means that more people should choose to own a gun, or to homeschool their children, or to speak out in a public forum.
Entrepreneurs undermine government bureaucrats when they start a business, as long as they aren’t using the government for special favors. They are particularly undermining government when they provide a product or service that can replace a government function.
Americans have a lot to be thankful for, despite the many problems put in their way by big government. But if we act like we are free, then it can actually be a self-fulfilling prophecy. This doesn’t mean turning your back on the many evils of big government. It means taking advantage of the areas where you still have liberty.
There is safety in numbers. The more people there are that own guns, the harder it is for the government to take guns. The more people there are that homeschool, the harder it becomes for the government to prevent it. The more people there are speaking out, the harder it is for the government to stop it.
