Are We Really Less Free Today? Sheldon Richman on the State of Liberty

Are we really less free than we used to be? Sheldon Richman, editor of The Freeman, says yes—and no.


Reason.tv sat down with Richman during the recent Libertopia festival in Hollywood, California to discuss the mixed bag that is the state of liberty today. The nanny state and regulatory state may be growing, but Richman points out that many people, from blacks to women, are freer than they used to be. Richman also highlights the liberating power of technology, which breaks down barriers to creative expression and information.

Approximately 6.3 minutes.

Shot by Hawk Jensen and Zach Weissmueller; edited by Alex Manning.

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[vv901vv901]

@FRSFreeStateNow

Ask "what makes someone a criminal and why?"

About a million Americans are currently in prison for non-violent "crimes" such as enjoying cannabis. No punishment needed for decreasing stress and curing illness. Punishments don't solve problems; proper education & guidance does.

I take no political side; left & right are both the same. The public debates r mostly theatrics. The majority of people don't approve of those in office.

Freedom is being in total control of oneself.

[LTBL88]

@FRSFreeStateNow With statism, those rapists, batterers, murderers and terrorists are easily capable of attaining positions of power which give them control over millions of lives. With anarchy they are only able to operate on an individual basis which while terrible and hard and/or impossible to completely solve, is nowhere near the level of damage a psychopath can do within a statist society

[bweazel]

@giddymoon Giddy, you're reaching, bro. Put down the Alex Jones.

[BogartWestern]

Vices are not crimes. - Lysander Spooner

[DynamicUnreality]

He's wearing and awesome Pink Floyd shirt!

[ohevshalomel]

I agree with most of what he says except when it comes to intellectual property rights. Intellectual property is still property. If a writer, musician, filmmaker, painter, scientist or inventor is not entitled to the fruit of his intellectual labor, than why should anyone have any rights to any property?

[Jalreal]

This dude has an absolutely monstrous schnozzola.

[elynn63ky]

@giddymoon Freedom means people are allowed to make bad choices, but it does not inevitably lead to them. Freedom is freedom, bad judgement is bad judgement. The two should never be confused.

[doobersmanster]

1776 NOW!

[giddymoon]

@giddymoon And I am not saying woman shouldn't have the right to vote or that blacks should not be treated equal, but the reasons for the supporting the fight were NOT moral ones.

[giddymoon]

Are blacks & women really less "free"? Blacks used to have a high family & marriage rate..& abortion was rare...now what does it look like? Women's lib was supported by the Rockefellers knowing they could get women to pay taxes & kids into govt hands & into "public school" which is really public indoctrination..we now have very few families, kids raised by the govt, a 30% black abortion rate, a 50% divorce rate, THIS IS FREEDOM?

[Steadno]

1776