Why are so many US citizens freedom haters these days?
It really bothers me that so many are so happy to steal away other peoples freedoms as long is its not their own. Mandatory health insurance, pointless building inspections, smoking bans, soda bans, Trans fat bans, gun bans, licensing dirt bikes.... Punish the real crime fine; but why as time goes by do so many people want to take away personal freedom from everyone but themselves and why do we allow this after fighting all the wars in the past that threatened our right to be free from dictatorship - where's all the warriors now???
2013-11-23T18:10:23Z
Many fine answers; some inquiring further clarification. First to call trans-fat poisonous I feel is extremist. To say one doesn't know is an accountability issue. If one is overly conscious of their food they need to take accountability in asking or reading the label of the food they eat instead of passing bans that make us all live up to your food preferences. "Pointless" building inspections would include the recent loss of my paid for house on my paid for property in which was told the windows had to be a maximum of 24" from the ground. The policies forced me right out of my own completely livable home and forced me in to debt in purchasing a new home. I'm sure there are many other policies of this nature. @JustAPerson; sorry Northwest, under-weight and proud to be raised on a farm. I don't assume you are anything like me at all since I don't insist every aspect of my environment must be under my direct control at all times.
squidy2013-11-23T13:28:46Z
Favorite Answer
It's fear. Yes, we want to be safe. But I agree that we shouldn't jump the gun and ban things just because they MIGHT be bad, COULD be bad, or are only bad when used improperly. A soda ban is stupid. A person chooses whether or not to drink soda, and in small amounts it's not unhealthy. But a trans fat ban is a bit different. You can try to make a healthy choice, but end up eating trans fat without knowing it. Or eat it without knowing how dangerous it is, because you don't think food companies would be allowed to put poison in the food products. And all the same foods can be made without trans fats. This is why I stand behind the trans fat ban.
The gun ban is a much harder issue for me. I understand both sides very well. For years I have not been able to decide which would be best. People want to ban guns because they see that, clearly, many of the people who have guns are an unnecessary danger. This is true. But they feel safe enough to trust the government to take away all their guns, and I definitely understand why many don't think this is wise. The government may be safe now, but things change, systems go bad, unexpected problems arise.
"Pointless" building inspections is something you'll have to explain more. Are there truly pointless inspections going on? Or do you just not think any inspections are necessary? If you think the latter is the case, please watch some footage of earthquakes and read some stories about factory fires. Surely an inspection doesn't take away any of your freedom, but it might save your life.
Loaded question aside, you forgot to add gay marriage bans at the state level to your list. At least be consistent. A federal government ban isn't a whole lot different than a state government taking away your rights.
And even though I'm not a libertarian (and neither was JS Mill), there's a certain charm to the harm principle. "The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others."
I guess the real problem is so many people see each of these things as harmful in one way or another. I'll start believing that both Republicans and Democrats believe in freedom when they're willing to admit some of the stuff the stuff they want to ban really isn't that harmful. I'll probably be waiting a while though, given how things are going and even how this question was asked.
So, I don't like Freedom Fries cooked in trans-fats. 20,000 heart attacks attributed to trans-fats a year, so screw the freedom of Southland Food Corp to poison me with them.
i doubt a real warrior will fight over a soda ban. there were true beefs in the past.. i guess many of those are passable inconveniences... or at least nothing worth dying over.