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Hyeon Een
Joined: 24 Jun 2005
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 Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 9:32 am Post subject: The most free country in the world! |
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I know George Bush likes to harp on about terrorists hating freedom, and that's why they attack the US. But as David Cross said, if that was the case then the Netherlands would be toast by know.
What do you think is the most free country in the world?
Somewhere like the US or the UK feels a lot less 'free' to me than South Korea. Back home I can't buy beer in the store at 6am on a Sunday, I can't walk around with bottles of alcohol at night, I can't visit a red-light district with chicks advertising themselves in the window, I can't buy pirated DVDs on the streets, I can't open up a filthy foodcart on the streets to earn a living, I can't beat the hell out of someone just because I'm married to them, I can't....
So where is the free-est place in the world that actually has a somewhat existant system of government and laws? (states in a.. state.. of anarchy don't count) |
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Satori
Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Location: Above it all
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| Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 10:00 am Post subject: Re: The most free country in the world! |
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| Hyeon Een wrote: |
Somewhere like the US or the UK feels a lot less 'free' to me than South Korea. Back home I can't buy beer in the store at 6am on a Sunday, I can't walk around with bottles of alcohol at night, I can't visit a red-light district with chicks advertising themselves in the window, I can't buy pirated DVDs on the streets, I can't open up a filthy foodcart on the streets to earn a living, I can't beat the hell out of someone just because I'm married to them, I can't....
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You think widespread prostitution, and thriving black market, and poor police protection from domestic violence equals a more free country huh. What about governmental blocking of internet sites, severe crack downs on labour movements, compulsory military service, a highly protected domestic market, draconian drug and immigration laws, a strong US military presense, a DMZ with a hostile unpredictable nuclear neighbour, a deeply conservative conformist culture with strong xenophobic tendencies? Is that free enough for ya? |
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jaganath69
Joined: 17 Jul 2003
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| Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 1:46 pm Post subject: |
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| The Netherlands, now there's a free country. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 2:53 pm Post subject: |
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To pedal a bike without being required to wear a friggin' helmet is one of the criteria of a free country.
Canada was free once. Not any more. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 4:06 pm Post subject: |
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The most free country is pretty hard to pin down. What's the per capita rate of federal laws between countries? Is that a good measure? One can throw around a lot of anecdotal evidence, of course. In Canada you can show fun bags and swear on network TV but you can't march in a Klan rally. In the USA it's the exact opposite. In Sweden 14 year old can see movies of people having hot sex but they can't see Star Wars because of the violence.
And of course there are laws and then there is what the community will tolerate. Can you claim on TV the 9/11 terrorists weren't cowards and retain your job? Can you have an anti-Bush bumper sticker and expect to keep your job?
Last edited by mindmetoo on Wed Oct 18, 2006 4:24 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 4:11 pm Post subject: |
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| VanIslander wrote: |
To pedal a bike without being required to wear a friggin' helmet is one of the criteria of a free country.
Canada was free once. Not any more. |
So long as we have a national health care system, damn straight I want everyone wearing helmets. The last thing the system needs is people who somehow feel wearing a helmet is not a smart idea becoming a vegetable and wasting tons of money. |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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| laogaiguk wrote: |
| VanIslander wrote: |
To pedal a bike without being required to wear a friggin' helmet is one of the criteria of a free country.
Canada was free once. Not any more. |
So long as we have a national health care system, damn straight I want everyone wearing helmets. The last thing the system needs is people who somehow feel wearing a helmet is not a smart idea becoming a vegetable and wasting tons of money. |
It's only kids that have to wear helmets isn't it? |
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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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| ajgeddes wrote: |
| laogaiguk wrote: |
| VanIslander wrote: |
To pedal a bike without being required to wear a friggin' helmet is one of the criteria of a free country.
Canada was free once. Not any more. |
So long as we have a national health care system, damn straight I want everyone wearing helmets. The last thing the system needs is people who somehow feel wearing a helmet is not a smart idea becoming a vegetable and wasting tons of money. |
It's only kids that have to wear helmets isn't it? |
No, atleast in NB. Everyone has to or it's a $25 fine (atleast as of 2002) |
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SPINOZA
Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul
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| Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 4:27 pm Post subject: Re: The most free country in the world! |
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| Hyeon Een wrote: |
I know George Bush likes to harp on about terrorists hating freedom, and that's why they attack the US. But as David Cross said, if that was the case then the Netherlands would be toast by know.
What do you think is the most free country in the world?
Somewhere like the US or the UK feels a lot less 'free' to me than South Korea. Back home I can't buy beer in the store at 6am on a Sunday, I can't walk around with bottles of alcohol at night, I can't visit a red-light district with chicks advertising themselves in the window, I can't buy pirated DVDs on the streets, I can't open up a filthy foodcart on the streets to earn a living, I can't beat the hell out of someone just because I'm married to them, I can't....
So where is the free-est place in the world that actually has a somewhat existant system of government and laws? (states in a.. state.. of anarchy don't count) |
I know exactly what you mean, but perhaps there's a tendency to mistake convenience and softness for freedom. Or maybe convenience, softness = freedom, I really dunno.
In Korea, you can walk down the street with many other drunk people at 3am without witnessing any foul, anti-social behavior of any real seriousness.....more often than not in my view (agreement with Spin isn't compulsory folks).....on your way to buying batteries for your MP3 player, and a couple more bottles, and some pringles and coke and orange juice, from your corner family Mart. This is where (Seoul in particular) really excels. It's such a pi55-easy city to live in. For me, ease = freedom.
Gotta be the Netherlands! In Amsterdam, there was once a problem with burgalary. But, since they legalized burglary, there's no longer a problem. The biggest social problem facing the Dutch is, I'm sorry to say, the drunk English boys fighting all the time (usually with each other)....ouch. But, the cops arrest them, show them some p0rn, give | | |
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