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Originally Posted by Tralls
Again you look at this on a comparative basis. I think the exact opposite. The price to be paid for being such an open society is that we will be vulnerable to random attacks of violence. the only way to fully stop it is to become a police state. I will take the side of freedom. Freedom is not comparable, it is an absolute. You can't compare our freedom to another country. You are either free or not. Speaking of consolidation, do you not see this occuring more and more everyday. How many different companies run the media we read? Not many. The consolidation occuring here is much more hidden and effective, because the masses do not realize till it is too late.
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I would argue that you can and should compare the freedoms in America to the freedoms (or lackthereof) found elsewhere for a balanced picture. You say, "You are either free or not" what does this mean? What kind of freedoms do you desire that you're not getting in America? You speak of this monumental concept of Absolute Freedom, but what does this mean? Do you wish to be free to grab a woman on the street and have sex with her in the backseat of your car? Do you wish to be free to walk into a bank and ask the teller to fill up a sack of money for you? Do you wish for the right to be automatically given a six figure salary upon completion of high school? There is no such thing as absolute freedom, it is an impossible concept. People from around the world don't flock to America because they want to partake of a repressive and closed society. I ask you and others who attack America on this point: Precisely what freedoms are you being denied living in America?!?
You mentioned earlier in this thread that you are Arab-American, and that you've been hassled a bit at airports. In this post-911 time, don't you think it reasonable and justifiable to expect such scrutiny? Look what just happened to Cat Stevens, and he's a rich and famous rockstar. I myself would expect such treatment if I was an Arab-American. I wouldn't like it, but I would expect it and understand the reason for it. I understand it might be an undignified and embarrassing situation, but its a few questions and you're on your way.
Yes its true that Big Business runs media outlets. It's also true that you have a maniacal corp of overzealous journalists keeping their eye on such companies, and won't hesitate for a millisecond to call them out when they have the story (and even when they don't).