I’ve noticed that Americans often refer to their country as the “land of the free,” and honestly, it rubs me the wrong way. It feels almost like a humblebrag gone wrong.
The reality is, many European countries arguably offer more freedoms—healthcare access, paid parental leave, lower incarceration rates, and even the ability to drink a beer in public without worrying about breaking some arcane law. Yet, I don’t see Europeans endlessly chanting about how free they are.
Why is “freedom” so deeply ingrained in American identity, even when the concept itself can be so subjective? And does constantly claiming this actually diminish how the rest of the world views it?
Would love to hear different perspectives on this. Is it cultural? Historical? Or just… marketing?
submitted by /u/brown-sugar25
[link] [comments]
r/NoStupidQuestions I’ve noticed that Americans often refer to their country as the “land of the free,” and honestly, it rubs me the wrong way. It feels almost like a humblebrag gone wrong. The reality is, many European countries arguably offer more freedoms—healthcare access, paid parental leave, lower incarceration rates, and even the ability to drink a beer in public without worrying about breaking some arcane law. Yet, I don’t see Europeans endlessly chanting about how free they are. Why is “freedom” so deeply ingrained in American identity, even when the concept itself can be so subjective? And does constantly claiming this actually diminish how the rest of the world views it? Would love to hear different perspectives on this. Is it cultural? Historical? Or just… marketing? submitted by /u/brown-sugar25 [link] [comments]
I’ve noticed that Americans often refer to their country as the “land of the free,” and honestly, it rubs me the wrong way. It feels almost like a humblebrag gone wrong.
The reality is, many European countries arguably offer more freedoms—healthcare access, paid parental leave, lower incarceration rates, and even the ability to drink a beer in public without worrying about breaking some arcane law. Yet, I don’t see Europeans endlessly chanting about how free they are.
Why is “freedom” so deeply ingrained in American identity, even when the concept itself can be so subjective? And does constantly claiming this actually diminish how the rest of the world views it?
Would love to hear different perspectives on this. Is it cultural? Historical? Or just… marketing?
submitted by /u/brown-sugar25
[link] [comments]