# Most "free" country in the world? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 13, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-free-country-in-the-world/849417 "2020-03-13T15:53:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Grim\_Render](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@Grim\_Render](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grim_Render)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-free-country-in-the-world/849417/41 "2020-03-18T11:39:32Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > There are only a handful of countries, where ordinary people are denied simple day-to-day freedoms. Like a choice of career or workplace, education opportunity, family structure, where to live or how to spend your leisure time. . Where those freedoms are denied, it is often a social dynamic rather than government edict that is the hindrance. > > A great majority of the world’s people live daily with pretty much the same personal freedom Americans have. Or more. The American healthcare system restricts choice of career somewhat, college tuition fees reduces education opportunity, and Americans seem to have much less leisure time, parental leave etc. than most other developed nations. In total I’d argue that the citizens of nations with UHC, tuition-free college, mandated vacations and parental leave etc enjoy more personal freedom. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-free-country-in-the-world/849417/42 "2020-03-18T12:21:58Z")
A lot of the land of the free stuff, along with the US is the greatest nation, is just hype we were taught as a kid to repeat as adults, many other countries enjoy freedoms like us and many more freedoms. We have certain freedoms that others don’t and they have freedoms we don’t. All in all, it’s a democratic type of nation where people do have a direct say, but also it has it’s ruling class and also it’s corruption. As such it’s better then a dictatorship for the average person but not a shining star of freedom we like to pretend it is. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-free-country-in-the-world/849417/43 "2020-03-18T13:12:29Z")
The first freedom is freedom from fear of violence. Without that, all the others are a fantasy. As such, only white males have real freedom in the US. So odd, that self-declared Libertarians are almost 70% male, and almost entirely white. Go figure, huh? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-free-country-in-the-world/849417/44 "2020-03-18T13:38:32Z")
Our neighbor just went to hospital, diagnosed with perforated ulcer. :eek: I think this is an occasion for serious surgery. The man has no health insurance. I understand that he will be required to pay a total of 92¢ (at the current exchange rate); this will include the surgery and follow-on care. Yes, that ‘¢’ is ‘cents’ with a ‘C.’ (_Paid in full_; no bill collector will come after him.) The government surgeon may lack the high training of a U.S. surgeon. But having a low-quality surgeon is better than affording no surgeon at all. 92¢ isn’t “free.” But it’s cheaper than the U.S.A.! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-free-country-in-the-world/849417/45 "2020-03-18T17:55:52Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > … > > I understand that he will be required to pay a total of 92¢ (at the current exchange rate); this will include the surgery and follow-on care. … > > 92¢ isn’t “free.” But it’s cheaper than the U.S.A.! 🆒 What nation? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2020, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-free-country-in-the-world/849417/46 "2020-03-18T18:40:08Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Our neighbor just went to hospital, diagnosed with perforated ulcer. :eek: I think this is an occasion for serious surgery. The man has no health insurance. > > I understand that he will be required to pay a total of 92¢ (at the current exchange rate); this will include the surgery and follow-on care. Yes, that ‘¢’ is ‘cents’ with a ‘C.’ (_Paid in full_; no bill collector will come after him.) The government surgeon may lack the high training of a U.S. surgeon. But having a low-quality surgeon is better than affording no surgeon at all. > > 92¢ isn’t “free.” But it’s cheaper than the U.S.A.! 🆒 I live in Thailand. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2020, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-free-country-in-the-world/849417/47 "2020-03-19T00:56:24Z")
Given the proclivities of the OP, here are my criteria for being free and the answers. [Netherlands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_Inequality_Index) has the world’s best rating for gender equality. Most free from male chauvinist bullshit. [Djibouti](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_sex_ratio) has the world’s lowest sex ratio of male:female. Most free from men in general. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2020, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-free-country-in-the-world/849417/48 "2020-03-19T01:45:52Z")
I lived on a hill above a northern California river that experienced two “hundred-year floods” in three months. Federal flood insurance was not extended to those caught in the second flood who hadn’t raised their houses after the first. Oops. One downhill neighbor decided “Fuck those damn guv’mint restrictions!” He said he would take his payout from the first flood and move to freedom, to Belize, where he could “smoke cigars, kick his dog, and beat his woman without government interference.” Such freedom! I don’t know how it worked out for him. Newcomers bought his old place, raised it, and rode high above the next flood. I guess they didn’t need wife- and dog-abuse freedom. ---
**Author:** ![Garak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@Garak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garak)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2020, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-free-country-in-the-world/849417/49 "2020-03-19T01:59:08Z")
does the Chinese man giving haircuts under the bridge properly sanitize his equipment in between customers? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2020, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-free-country-in-the-world/849417/50 "2020-03-19T02:22:57Z")
> [@Garak](#): > > does the Chinese man giving haircuts under the bridge properly sanitize his equipment in between customers? Of course not. All he has to do is give kickbacks to some govt official to ignore that he is doing, which of course in a heavily regulated dictatorship is totally illegal. It’s not a example of “freedom”- it’s a example of corruption. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2020, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-free-country-in-the-world/849417/51 "2020-03-19T02:32:48Z")
> [@Garak](#): > > does the Chinese man giving haircuts under the bridge properly sanitize his equipment in between customers? No. But customers can go to a shop that does. That choice is called “freedom”. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2020, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-free-country-in-the-world/849417/52 "2020-03-19T21:39:22Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > No. But customers can go to a shop that does. That choice is called “freedom”. Assuming there _is_ a shop that does. But that potential lack of choice is called “freedom”. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2020, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-free-country-in-the-world/849417/53 "2020-03-20T02:44:49Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > Assuming there _is_ a shop that does. But that potential lack of choice is called “freedom”. If there is a market niche for such a shop, not allowing one is a denial of economic freedom. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-free-country-in-the-world/849417.md?page=2)