154 - The Opposite of Freedom (America's internal war between capitalism and democracy)

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Episode #154 - The Opposite of Freedom (America's Internal War between Capitalism and Democracy)

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⌚ Sat 15 February 2003  ☻Carl Estabrook, Adam Engel, Dick Flacks

Download Hour1 Download Hour2It seems that the less freedom we have, the more clamorous and repetitive the official voices become in telling us that we live in the freest country in the world. This assertion is adamantly defended by people who apparently know little about life elsewhere.

In fact freedoms are just as lacking for most citizens in any of the so-called 'first world democracies'. Many of those nations, however, have governments that provide their populations with benefits not enjoyed here - such as free health care, a minimum of four weeks vacation each year, or proportional representation in elections with multiple political parties instead of just two both of which are dominated by corporations - and even these basic benefits are under corporate attack on a global level through the vehicle of so-called free trade treaties. None of these so-called democracies provide equal freedom to all their citizens. While these freedoms exist on paper, the reality is that they must be purchased and the extent to which one can meaningfully experience these freedoms is related to one's financial position. The economics of the market is the de facto governmental structure that determines how free one actually is - and sets the limits on the amount of freedom and dignity available to an individual.
Music: Ethan Miller
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