Comment Re:True, but.... (Score 1) 332
Well, then I'm sure you're free enough to be able to move to a more densely populated area in the USA where you can get a 100Mb down/5Mb connection... New York City has about 8 million people living on 468.9 sq miles, Belgium about 10 million on 11,787 sq miles (source: wikipedia)... Shouldn't be a problem there I think?
And maybe it's the silly US "2 big parties with 1 winner" democratic system that makes you distrust your government as much as you do. Democratic governments are there to take care of the population, not be against them. And I'm pretty happy with the fact that my crazy-ass neighbor can't just walk into a store and get a gun. I myself would not even want a gun in my house with little children running around, that is an accident waiting to happen - but that's a personal preference. Thing is - that's mostly the attitude here in Europe. Guns are dangerous, don't forget these laws were not just made "for fun", Europe has had more than it's share of violence in it's history. For being a developed country, the USA's homicide rate is scary high and gun accidents kill about 500 kids/year in the USA according to a 5 second google. That are things I expect my government to take care of, because clearly people are too stupid to do this them-self. Apparently, making it very hard to own a gun seems to work pretty well (note that it is perfectly possible for me to buy and own a gun, I would just have to get myself a permit).
Also, you may be able to deny the holocaust, I can say "fuck" on tv without being beeped out. If it offends someone - they have to deal with it. I was allowed to drink when I was 16, and actually had my first beer when I was 12, and nobody cared. Different freedoms? There's a huge difference in law-enforcement, which actually shocked me when I was in the USA for the first time. And freedom of speech? Well, some of my opinions and world views clearly shocked people, and they expected me to shut up about them, which didn't really feel like "freedom of speech" to me. Also, don't generalize, nazi symbols are not forbidden in all European countries.
We might have a few laws extra - but to me, that's not any different from the "you are not allowed to steal" law, which as far as I know, also exists in the USA. They protect me, and I'm pretty happy with that. I'm not saying I agree with all laws, but most of the time they do make sense, and in general, small offences are not enforced as violently and unforgiving as I have seen in the USA. When my cousin (who has lived his entire life in the USA) was here, he couldn't believe his eyes when we were walking through a park, and some dude lighted a joint in public. When 2 cops walked by and just asked the guy - in a very friendly manner - to put it away, he couldn't believe what he just saw. A lot of USA citizens have a very deformed image of what life in Europe is like, most of them have never left the USA in their entire life, and probably never will. In Europe, it's hard not to get out of your country at a certain point and be confronted with different cultures. I myself have seen quite a bit of the world, been in the USA, Africa, and most of the Western-European countries, and I can't say I feel less free than anyone I've ever met on my trips.
Don't get me wrong, I like the US, it's the country with the most open and friendly people I've ever been to, but moving there permanently? (which I am free to do if I wouldn't be happy here) I don't think I could do that. Silly speed limits would probably be nr 1 reason on a pretty lengthy list