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alex mcghee

Paramedic, Fire Department

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What is YOUR definition of Freedom?

The recent uprising in northern Africa and the Middle East has got me thinking about my liberties in America, which in turn made me ask the Question are we really free? To answer this question you must answer the question what is freedom? Since freedom is relative to the observer I figured I would ask the world, and what better census can you get for the world than TED (without some people ruining a thread with arguments and or satirical comments) So tell me what is your definition of freedom?

Topics: freedom government social issues
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    Jan Kadlec 200+

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    TED AttendeeTED TranslatorLanguage Coordinator
    Apr 19 2011: Freedom? The possibility of doing whatever you want as long as it does not harm others health or property. (Yes, I am economist and libertarian.)

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        Jan Kadlec 200+

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        TED AttendeeTED TranslatorLanguage Coordinator
        Apr 19 2011: Uhm. I knew I heard/read that somewhere before.

        But I see one huge problem with that: where is the end of freedom? When it harms others health and property? I consider this question more interesting than definition of freedom, because simple answer „It ends where freedom of another person begins“ raises more topics for discussion.
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          alex mcghee

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          Apr 19 2011: This is the discussion I was having with a friend before I posted this thread. Egypt has successfully overthrown their gov't in order to have a nation as free as mine, this made me think, is America the free nation the the world views it as, or has that time past still living on as a lingering iconic fairy tale that inspires 3rd world nationals to be immigrants or rise up in their home land?

          So based on all your views of freedom I pose the question... do you feel free in your country?

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