In my recent article about the Putin election, I mentioned that America is not the freest country in the world. The question is than; what countries have more freedom than America? Some countries have more economic freedom than personal freedom, and other countries have more personal than economic freedom. Some have a good amount both types of freedom but corrupt government or no rule of law. Join me on this journey to find freedom and equal justice in the world.
Here is a list of countries with more of each type of freedom than America.
Economic freedom: Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Switzerland, Canada
Personal and Social freedom: Norway, Canada, New Zealand, Denmark, and Netherlands
Rule of law, property rights and freedom from government corruption: Denmark, New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, Finland, Sweden, Canada, Norway
Education (limited regulation on compulsory schooling): Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Norway, and Denmark
The category of Economic freedom covers free markets, limited regulation on business and entrepreneurship, financial and investment freedom, limited taxation and government spending.
Personal and Social freedom is defined as limited regulation with what citizens are allowed to do. Personal freedom means government doesn’t impose on expression, beliefs, marriage, drugs and alcohol, prostitution, gambling, or excessive auto and road laws, etc.
Educational freedom is limited government regulation on private school, home school, limited number of mandatory compulsory schooling years, and limited public school spending. These countries listed also not surprisingly have higher quality of education and human capital than America and other countries.
These countries only represent around the top five in each category. Depending on the category, there are about 10 to 20 countries with more freedom than America. America still has a good amount of freedom in business and entrepreneurship, and private property rights. Although government regulation in the private sector is on the rise and eminent domain rights are eroding away.
As each year goes by in the United States, we have less freedom in one category or another. When Democrats are in power we see economic freedom eroding away. When Republicans are in power we see less personal freedom and less civil liberty. When Progressives of either party are in power it’s less freedom across the board, and more rule of man instead of rule of law.
Most European countries have more personal and social freedom compared to economic freedom. Some Northwestern European countries like Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland all have a well-balanced degree of freedom. These countries all have some form of a parliamentary republic with secure rule of law. Many now have a three branch (Legislative, Executive, and Judicial) system of government that the U.S. used to have (we have an out of control fourth branch of labor unions and corporate lobbyists). So why does America have an over controlling, intrusive, untrustworthy government, and the citizens of these Northwestern European countries have control over their government? Let’s look at Norway for example. They have a three branch constitutional republic like America. The citizens just happen to enforce unlike in America. They have a population of about five million (that’s about a million less than the population of Washington State). Most people in Norway have family lineage in Norway. Just about everyone has the same culture and lifestyle. With a small population and minimal diversity most people agree on the same thing. So it is also difficult for politicians to become corrupt and abusive of power. Norway is also a sovereign nation, so they don’t have to deal with the tax and regulation of the European Union. So it’s a bit like comparing apples and oranges with Norway to America. My ancestors are Norwegian on my father’s side. So it’s a bit ironic that my ancestors came to America to live in the land of the free and now the land they left could more accurately be described as the land of the free.
Imagine that Washington State was its own sovereign nation (just purely hypothetical) with no ties to the federal government. Imagine not having to deal with federal regulation of business, taxation, drug enforcement, the IRS, or any mandates. If you only had to deal with State and local regulation wouldn’t it feel like a big burden was lifted off your back? (Washington State has about the least amount of economic and personal freedom compared to the other states too.) That’s a bit what it’s like for these small European countries that are not tied to the European Union. Our American constitutional government was designed with this format in mind. The federal government was only supposed to protect the border from outside threats, protect our natural rights with rule of law and equal justice, and keep currency and commerce regular among the states. The 10th amendment is supposed to ensure that all power not granted to the federal government by the Constitution is given to the states and the people.
If we forced the federal government to surrender to the Constitution, abolished the 16th and 17th amendments, End all departments that are unconstitutional like the dept. of Education, and Dept. of Energy, Federal Reserve, IRS, the “fourth branch”, and gave citizens the choice to opt out of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, if they want to, we would start to see momentum in the direction of more personal and economic freedom. I can only dream.
The Federal Government should be the last resort for provisions to the population. What you can do for yourself should be done by you. What can’t be done by you should be done by family and friends. If family and friends can’t help, that responsibility should go to the community and local government. What the community can’t do should be left to the state. What the state can’t do should be left to the Federal Government. If we choose to abandon this mentality, there will be no need for self-reliance and we will keep getting weaker and more incoherent and therefore, more dependent upon the elite political controlling class. Each person in a society with free individuals, not controlled by a centralized elite power, has a duty to help others when and where one is able to help. It’s not the proper role of government to help the people; it’s the people’s responsibility to help each other. This duty does not come from any man made law, it comes from the law of our nature. The divine energy that naturally flows through us all keeps us interconnected, and by helping each other it keeps us tuned in to that frequency.
When you have such a big country like America with a large population and such a diversity of cultures and lifestyles; you must maintain a constitutionally limited representative republic with equal justice (Lady Justice wears a blindfold to represent equal justice.) and rule of law. Democracy mixed with diversity is tyranny of the majority against the minority. In order for a diverse and free society to remain free for the next generation, the duty of self-governance and personal sovereignty must be embraced and maintained by each individual. The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights provides the principles needed to maintain our self-reliance.
So I would say the country with the most overall, well balanced uncorrupted freedom in the world is Norway. But since comparing America to Norway is a bit apples and orangesy; Countries like Canada, New Zealand and Australia that are a bit closer in size, although still not the same, could be a better comparison for more freedom. Canada seems to have a good amount of personal freedom but not economic freedom. Singapore and Hong Kong have a good amount of economic freedom but not personal freedom. New Zealand, Singapore, and Australia have good, low corruption rule of law. Australia and New Zealand have a good Education system not designed to artificially extend childhood like we have in America. If using these countries in comparison then I would say Australia has the most well balanced economic and personal freedom and rule of law.
Other countries that have more freedom than America that have not been mentioned yet are Ireland, Chile, Mauritius, and Iceland. These countries also have less freedom than America in some categories also.
We in America seem to embrace regulation on businesses as if no adverse side effects would result from it. In America 96% of all businesses that are started go out of business or are sold within 10 years. A friend of mine started a used car business a couple years ago. When I hear about the permits required for the amount of cars allowed on the lot, licenses and certifications required to sell or provide financing it makes me wonder, why bother trying. Another friend with a limo service has to have a myriad of licenses and permits required to do business. A license is required for having drinks available for passengers. Permits required for window tint etc. Inspections and bonds are required. These permits and licenses for running a business can be very expensive. It’s just taxation in disguise.
Sure, these regulations all have great intentions, but I’m more interested in great results. I have had many great ideas for starting a business, but I choose not to play a game that is rigged with regulation, because the rules could always change tomorrow. When you don’t know who the government is going to favor or penalize, it makes things more unpredictable than it would be in a free market. Many business owners get so bombarded with rules that the only way to keep providing products and services to others is to resort to black market activity. I admire and respect those that have been in the armed forces, but I have paramount respect for those who act on their entrepreneurial ambitions. I wonder how many others are out there like me who want to provide products or services to others with more efficiency and higher quality than ever seen before but chose not to play an unfair game. Imagine how much more our lives would be improved if products and services had lower cost and better quality simply by removing the burden of excess rules and regulation.
You might be saying; “Jeremy, these regulations are there for your own good and safety.” I understand the intentions are for our safety and well-being, but the result ends up weakening our resilience and self-courage as a culture. The more we cocoon our lives in safety regulations the less we learn how to adapt to the inherent risks in life. If you keep your child protected and sheltered from the big bad risky world, that child will become weak, fearful, gullible, and will become dependent upon those who did have to grow and adapt from the struggles of life.
So you probably understand why I have an entrepreneurial spirit but choose not to start a business in today’s America. One of the reasons why I don’t have kids runs on the same premise. Hypothetically speaking; If I was around in about 1860’s America, I would’ve probably wanted to have children. In today’s America I choose not to. Children in the America of 150 years ago were allowed to learn and grow as much as their imagination and curiosity drove them to learn. If a boy wanted to learn history, he would read books written in the past. He didn’t wait until 3rd period history class where you just learn a hearsay version of history. It was common for a boy and his dad to; for example, go down the road to help a neighbor build his house. The boy would not only learn carpentry, framing, or roofing, etc. He would also learn algebra, geometry, architecture comprehension, and social skills, all from hands on involvement. He would also learn what is safe and what is dangerous. He would learn that having a good work ethic is rewarding. This is just a snapshot example of a small part of childhood in those days. With all the different experiences in the community back then for kids, it’s no wonder kids were “grown up” and ready for the “real world” by 7-12 Years of age. Back then they were allowed to be involved in life’s learning experiences rather than wasting time being imprisoned in school all day being conditioned to memorize meaningless material.
You would be locked up in prison in todays America if you subjected your kids to the powerful learning experiences they were allowed to have before the progressive era over 100 years ago. Our 2nd President John Adams allowed his son John Quincy Adams (later to become our 6th president) to go to Russia as a U.S. Ambassador at the age of 14. What 14 year old could do that today with child labor laws? These child labor laws are intended to protect children, but they result in incoherency and lack of valuable experience. These regulations just artificially extend childhood. I admire any parent that chooses to rear kids these days in spite of all the rules and regulation (intended to keep kids safe) that keeps kids weak and unable to know one’s self. I love and cherish every moment with my nephews and nieces, but I choose not to have kids of my own if they are just likely to grow up in a nation sheltering us in the illusion of safety and security resulting in tyranny, among other reasons.
Economic freedom and personal liberty protected by rule of law based on equal justice are the most important things in a rational society. These things bring countries out of poverty and mass starvation; they bring safety security and an overall sense of wellbeing in a population. When a country has a satisfied population then they are better equipped to help others locally and globally.
America has been divided in a struggle between the principles of Constitutional government under the consent of the governed, and between the principles of centrally controlled form of government, corporations, unions, education, and financial institutions (all tied to government power) ever since the progressive era of the early 1900’s. If it stays in limbo for too long, it will eventually result in chaos and collapse. We must decide which principles this nation will run on. Do we want a progressive government, progressing towards centralized planning and letting large corporations, Wall Street, labor unions, and the Dept. of Education attach arteries to the government? Or do we want a constitutionally limited government that doesn’t have control of our personal livelihood, or our entrepreneurial spirit, or our finances, or our schooling? Honestly, I think we are stuck with the former no matter what the population decides at this point. Have a great day.
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