Definition(s) of Freedom (political)

[Bombadillo]

I find it extremely annoying when peers claim that they aren't free, that under teachers or the American government, they are prevented them from doing anything they like to do.

I find this annoying because they are so uneducated about it; in other countries, they could say something like that and be immediately executed, and some different parents might beat them senseless for mentioning 'overprotectiveness' or something like that. They don't ever think to compare.

I find this annoying because what those types of people "like to do" is rebel against any and everything, authority being the most common victim, because they believe they look cool doing so. And God knows, the rebel all they want under their government, because they never shut up. But they don't have time to think about that; they're to busy appearing cool and hip and rebellious.

I find this annoying because our government and most of their parents allow everything there is to logically allow, with minimum complications. In other words, we can do everything, even if some require a certain license, except kill another person, steal another person's property, harm another person, or cheat the government out of money that would go to work for you. If these damn people would ever stop thinking about only themselves and how 'oh, we can't have fun, because a few people are preventing it and we're not allowed to kill them', then they'd realilse this.

I find this annoying because they don't stop to think of their own ideas for a potential government, or how they'd handle responsibily over another person, and ask themselves how they'd make it better for everyone, everyone, without making it impossible.

Some people do not think, and therefore have a terrible, but so saddeningly popular misconception that they are not free. It puzzles me how they can spend years at a time in such a daze.

I was just wondering if anyone here at the moot agrees with them, or with me? What kind of factors do you think make its people "free?" What do you think of people who seem to refuse to recognise freedom?

This does not relate solely to America or parenting. I used 'rebels' against America in particular because they are the only type of whiney-peope-who-believe-they're-not-free around me. Interperent it any way you want.

(And this is not the 'What defines a democracy thread' because I want to hear different people's opinions on what makes them feel personally free or able or unrestrained. When would you feel free if you could change the rules? In other words, this won't be a definition of 'democracy' but of the 'feeling of freedom.' So I guess my mentioning America was a bit misleading, at least, but I cannot edit now because it's dinnertime.)