50 State overall Freedom Ranking...

[The_Fool]

Dialectical Process. I think I am beating my head on the desk right now.

 

[Dragonlipz]

Well, getting my way would just be a matter of being free.....that's my way, as you put it. So, hell yeah, I'm pissed.

Revolutions are sometimes necessary, even if unpleasant. Thomas Jefferson said, and I tend to agree, that we should have a revolution every generation. By that standard, we're overdue. And it shows in the arrogance of our leaders.

Smokin' some pretty good shit, now, are we?
Obama, arrogant? More arrogant than Bush or Cheney? Where were ya the last eight years? Bush and Cheney defined arrogance and continue to show their asses......
Maybe the fact that there's a mixed race man running the show pisses ya off?
I don't feel sorry for ya. He's an able and accomplished politician who has an agenda, as they all do. Get the fuck over it......or not.....your loss.....

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Smokin' some pretty good shit, now, are we?
Obama, arrogant? More arrogant than Bush or Cheney? Where were ya the last eight years? Bush and Cheney defined arrogance and continue to show their asses......
Maybe the fact that there's a mixed race man running the show pisses ya off?
I don't feel sorry for ya. He's an able and accomplished politician who has an agenda, as they all do. Get the fuck over it......or not.....your loss.....

Actually, I'm opposed to the entire system that has existed since at least 1913...the Federal Reserve Act and such. Presidents come and go....inept, corrupt, and treasonous central bankers have stayed basically the same. You're being quite shallow if you think this is about who won the election. I don't like either party, either.

 

[cloudy]

Only to you. Revolutionaries are rarely welcome. I'm used to it by now. But that doesn't make revolution any less necessary.

I'm sure that someone called the Founders ignorant and ridiculous, too.

Of course I think they were ridiculous and ignorant. Have you forgotten who/what I am?

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Okay, I need time to cool off.....you guys are making this way too personal. All I do is advocate the rising up of the American People against the tyrants and basically kicking said tyrants out of the country, and you have to bash me in a vicious and personal way. Sheesh, people.

 

[rgraham666]

We don't think they're tyrants. They're often selfish, many times incompetent and don't always do what we want.

But if you think they're tyrants you have a mighty weird idea of what tyranny is.

 

[Dragonlipz]

Okay, I need time to cool off.....you guys are making this way too personal. All I do is advocate the rising up of the American People against the tyrants and basically kicking said tyrants out of the country, and you have to bash me in a vicious and personal way. Sheesh, people.

Hey Sev, if ya can't start a fire, stay outa the kitchen......
So yer chaffing about some dumbass remarks you made.......live with it.....

 

[3113]

Where does your state rank? My current state is in Green my birth state in red.

On WHAT did they base these rankings? What counts as "personal" freedom? Does being able to get married even if you're gay count? How about being able to prostitute yourself if you like? Walk around naked? Smoke pot? These, are things, by the way, that you can do in certain European countries, but other restrictions might well put them low on the list if those are not the "freedoms" that were considered "freedoms" in this survey.

And how much weight does one freedom get compared to others? Are they all weighed equally? Freedom of gay people to marry weighs the same Do certain "freedoms" weight more than others in this?

I'm sorry, but I don't buy this. Technically, one's freedom is restricted if one can't cross the street on a red light or park in a parking spot that's labeled for "Handicap Only." If every little restriction doesn't count, and every little freedom--from all points of view, then it's bogus.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Hey Sev, if ya can't start a fire, stay outa the kitchen......
So yer chaffing about some dumbass remarks you made.......live with it.....

Nothing dumbass about advocating the removal of the jackasses of both parties from power. If you think it is, watch C-Span some time.

 

[The_Fool]

On WHAT did they base these rankings? What counts as "personal" freedom? Does being able to get married even if you're gay count? How about being able to prostitute yourself if you like? Walk around naked? Smoke pot? These, are things, by the way, that you can do in certain European countries, but other restrictions might well put them low on the list if those are not the "freedoms" that were considered "freedoms" in this survey.

And how much weight does one freedom get compared to others? Are they all weighed equally? Freedom of gay people to marry weighs the same Do certain "freedoms" weight more than others in this?

I'm sorry, but I don't buy this. Technically, one's freedom is restricted if one can't cross the street on a red light or park in a parking spot that's labeled for "Handicap Only." If every little restriction doesn't count, and every little freedom--from all points of view, then it's bogus.

Gay Marriage - Yes
Prostitution - Yes
Public Nudity - Didn't find it
Smoke Pot - Yes

Freedoms were definitely weighted.

Counting all freedoms would make a lot of data points.

George Mason is one of those schools that I like to read the stuff from, but I always read it with a caution. I tend to see more economics stuff from them. The question I ask is always the same, "Who is paying for the survey?"

 

[DeeZire]

Okay, I need time to cool off.....you guys are making this way too personal. All I do is advocate the rising up of the American People against the tyrants and basically kicking said tyrants out of the country, and you have to bash me in a vicious and personal way. Sheesh, people.

You know, Sev, the problem with a revolution is human nature - the old "absolute power corrupts absolutely" thing. A year or two after the revolution, it's the same old shit all over again, but with new names and new slogans.

The solution is to fine-tune the system - like for example: quit jerry-rigging voting districts to ensure safe candidates, quit allowing lobbyists to write legislation, things like that. These things are do-able, but it takes education to get them done. The public is clueless, disconnected, with no reason to care about what their politicians are up to. If we could turn that around, we could make changes.

You might want to look into pirate radio as one example of the people getting out a message that is not being "puppeteered" by corporate interests. Combine that with outlets like factcheck.org and creative Twittering, and you could totally change the national mood. In fact, we can see it going on today with Fox News and the Right Wing Spin machine. Fortunately for us, their message isn't sticking because it's bullshit.

I'd suggest the most effective revolution would be to get 95% of the population to vote. Go take some classes in public relations, or read the book from a few years ago about framing issues, and create the change you so long for. Information is power. Use it.

 

[slyc_willie]

On WHAT did they base these rankings?

From the article:

"We develop and justify our ratings and aggregation procedure on explicitly normative criteria, defining individual freedom as the ability to dispose of one’s own life, liberty, and justly acquired property however one sees fit, so long as one does not coercively infringe on another individual’s ability to do the same."

Now, when it comes to a philosophical definition of something such as "freedom," there are and always will be biases and assumptions made about what is considered normative across the board.

Personally, I just think it's a funny little study that puts my grand ol' state near the top. Braggin' rights is braggin' rights if enough people accept the criteria.

 

[DeeZire]

On WHAT did they base these rankings? What counts as "personal" freedom? Does being able to get married even if you're gay count?

I don't think gay marriage carries much weight, since Arizona is 8th from the top, and gay marriage is illegal here. One thing I did notice in the opening paragraph - low taxes are apparently weighted favorably. Using my state as an example, I guess that means shitty schools (49th in the USA on per-pupil spending) are a byproduct of enjoying expanded personal freedoms. Does that mean freedom from knowledge is favorably weighted?

Another interesting factoid. In Arizona, 18% of the population live below the federal poverty line and get free federally funded health care, so perhaps "personal freedom" also means freedom from having to buy health insurance? Or freedom from having to endure the rigors of entering the middle class?

As far as I'm concerned, they're free to take their study and shove it up their tight asses.

 

[JagFarlane]

Heh, somehow not surprised that NJ ranks 49th There is a reason why I will never live there again [besides the high cost of living].

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

A few states have discovered the 10th Amendment. It simply says that whatever powers the Constitution does not assign to Washington belongs to the States and to the People.

But the Income Tax Amendment nullified it.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

Hey, what do you know. I'm next to last...

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

You know, Sev, the problem with a revolution is human nature - the old "absolute power corrupts absolutely" thing. A year or two after the revolution, it's the same old shit all over again, but with new names and new slogans.

The solution is to fine-tune the system - like for example: quit jerry-rigging voting districts to ensure safe candidates, quit allowing lobbyists to write legislation, things like that. These things are do-able, but it takes education to get them done. The public is clueless, disconnected, with no reason to care about what their politicians are up to. If we could turn that around, we could make changes.

You might want to look into pirate radio as one example of the people getting out a message that is not being "puppeteered" by corporate interests. Combine that with outlets like factcheck.org and creative Twittering, and you could totally change the national mood. In fact, we can see it going on today with Fox News and the Right Wing Spin machine. Fortunately for us, their message isn't sticking because it's bullshit.

I'd suggest the most effective revolution would be to get 95% of the population to vote. Go take some classes in public relations, or read the book from a few years ago about framing issues, and create the change you so long for. Information is power. Use it.

All nice and familiar.....it's been done...it's being done. The problem is that the people don't really elect leaders anymore. They rubber-stamp the choices given them. And those in power do what they feel like, without fear of the masses.

I'm not evil. I'm just running out of patience with these bozos, madam.

 

[cloudy]

All nice and familiar.....it's been done...it's being done. The problem is that the people don't really elect leaders anymore. They rubber-stamp the choices given them. And those in power do what they feel like, without fear of the masses.

I'm not evil. I'm just running out of patience with these bozos, madam.

You also sound like a fool.

 

[rgraham666]

The worst villains in history had the best intentions.

Sev? The second a person decides that they are right, absolutely and unequivocally, is the second they are most in the wrong.

I know how evil I can be from actions I've done in the past. I still feel a lot of guilt for them. It makes me careful of what I think and do.

You are careless. You may yack about freedom, but you don't care what other people have to lose so you can be 'free'.

 

[NoJo]

Read an article today and it referenced Mercatus Center at George Mason University so I went and found the report the article mentioned.

The Mercatus Center of George Mason University has released a study ranking the states compared to their level of personal freedom. The results?

The full study here.

Where does your state rank? My current state is in Green my birth state in red.

Overall Freedom Ranking

1. New Hampshire
...
50. New York

New York is the most liberal state though. which all proves to me how totally fucked up America is when it comes to understanding the basic ideas of democracy and freedom. It's not about whether or not you're allowed to carry X or commit Y. It's about how much you're allowed to deviate from the norm.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

1. New Hampshire

"Live Free or Die"

You have to love a state that puts its money where its motto is!

 

[Stella_Omega]

Heh, somehow not surprised that NJ ranks 49th There is a reason why I will never live there again [besides the high cost of living].

Would you want to live in Texas, putatively the fifth most free state?

Because if I wanted to exercise my freedom in Texas, I'd be in jail.

 

[WRJames]

New York is the most liberal state though. which all proves to me how totally fucked up America is when it comes to understanding the basic ideas of democracy and freedom. It's not about whether or not you're allowed to carry X or commit Y. It's about how much you're allowed to deviate from the norm.

I live in New York (number 50) very close to the New Jersey (number 49) border. I can attest from personal experience that both states are quite oppressive in their passion to be protective.

My personal passions are not particularly harmful to others. I like to swim naked in unguarded lakes. I like to cross country ski on back woods trails. On public land mostly, we're not talking about trespassing issues here.

Both states will take a huge, pristine lake and provide a swimming area the size of a postage stamp. I won't even get into the hassles I've had with trails that have been designated for hiking, but not for cross country skiing.

The consequence -- I've led a furtive, lawless existence in the deep woods. The only things that has preserved my personal freedom is that the states are too broke to enforce all their stupid regulations.

My experience with Texas is that if you want to be a damn fool and kill yourself doing something dangerous, that's your own business.

Of course, some risky behaviors, particularly behind the controls of motor vehicle, create risk for others.

 

[NoJo]

Freedom is not about pissing in the woods like a bear. Which I love to do.

 

[Stella_Omega]

My experience with Texas is if you want to be a damn fool, and you wave a big ol American flag while you're being a damn fool, you're probably going to get away with it. If your foolishness harms other Americans, there might be some repercussions, but if you only kill a Mexican you might get away with that.