Freedom is in decline in many places around the world

Freedom, in this modern, hi-tech dispensation world today, is the ability of nations and indeed governments to interpret the virtues of the “invisible hand” in the context of market driven forces of the supply and the demand for every imaginable resource available for consumption to society, and yes, at a price.

Besides, its viability directly depends upon the ability of individuals to freely make decisions for self-interest to the extent of their opportunity cost. Furthermore, the availability of the resources is influenced by various factors that would in turn determine various price elasticities for goods and services.

Ideally, the above scenario(s) is driven toward a stable equilibrium given that all things are held constant. It is a presumption that individuals, communities, nations or societies are civil and rational enough to avoid “chaotic” situations that would result in a disequilibrium. Thus, freedom is violated as a result when a nation or society is not relative “peace”.

Unfortunately, many nations around the world do not comprehend the value of freedom and live in direct violation of civilized conduct. As a consequence, lack thereof of freedom has a direct bearing on human affairs.

What is interesting is the knowledge in the ability of individuals, societies and nations to understand what freedom entails. Here is one interpretation of significance, though and, it is a consonant of freedom… “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. John 8:36, Thanks and cheers, :-) David W. Nerubucha

As a resident of the US, my country seems less and less free every day, with rights restricted to the rich and powerful. Or are we just free to be hungry, homeless, and go without healthcare while the rich bomb their way around the world in the ever greater search for new resources to steal. Maybe when the US stops its global thievery of resources freedom will actually flourish.

Apart from political rights and civil liberties there is also another kind of freedom, the one each person experiences in his/her inner self, and which obviously shapes every behaviour he/she addresses towards society. According to Heraclitus, one should be aware of the fact that a deeper unity lies between all things (Kirk-Raven-Schofield, “The Presocratic Philosopers”). Therefore, aside from categorizing countries into “free”, “partly free” and “not free”, based on specific characteristics of their political systems, I think it would also be beneficial to turn our attention to man, as, in the final analysis, man is the most basic unit of every form of social organization, one of which is that of a state. I cite the following excerpt from the book “The Next Step of Creation – The Revelation” of the author Ioannis G. Tsatsaris, considering that it constitutes a reference of a highest essentiality and invaluable worthiness on the good called freedom:
“...as I have said before, freedom is acquired through knowledge. Without knowledge everyone is entrapped by the Unconscious. And the Unconscious is a cruel jailer with nothing else to think about than how to imprison man in image – generetad attractions making him suffer (...), ... no spiritual being on Earth can exist if he does not first pass through the process of observations, so as to note his individual erroneous states and to reveal certain created elements, which he formed within him in his childhood years, and these are internal magnetic desires manifested by a person in his relation with others. And all of you know which desires are awakened within you in your effort to form relations with others...
If man does not reveal all these things to himself, does not reconsider and does not accept the fact that they will not liberate him in any manner whatsoever from the binding states of the Unconscious, then he will never reach the point of experiencing the feeling of liberation from his binding “sentimental” – as they are referred to- states and will remain enslaved forever in this domain to his abused organic molecular systems. And irrespective of whether he acquires money, praise, or whatever, he will remain forever enclosed in his individual hell”
(Ioannis G.Tsatsaris, “The Next Step of Creation-The Revelation”, Vantage Press-New York, 2007, pp.124, 175)

Zoe Pittaki, Economist/ Athens

It sounds like a remake of the 30's What comes next?

Why was Jordan downgraded? Aren't they one of the more politically sucessful countries of the middle east.

Lot of heat is generated because freedom is not defined. Perhaps Freedom House means freedom of expression and that too of individuals. But this aspect of freedom is also very important as without this freedom other freedoms are not possible. The next step is freedom of collective expression followed by freedom of collective action. Is there a single country in the world where these collective freedoms are guaranteed? In many countries, terrorist phobia is used to deny these collective freedoms without even discussion of such freedoms. Does that not amount to dictatorship? The establishments are afraid of such discussions because such discussions will lead to changes in establishments. How many established States (or countries) are prepared to recognise the right of Self Determination of Nations? Such right is banned by the 6th amendment to the Constitution in the country called SRI LANKA. Can anyone call for the repeal of this amendment? If anyone does that inside Sri Lanka, he/she will be called a terrorist and jailed if he/she is lucky but chances are he/she will be abducted and given freedom from Earth. If anyone does that outside Sri Lanka, he/she will be accuesed of interfering with the Sacred Cow called Sovereignity. The powers that be are prepared to guarantte freedom so long as such freedom does not call for an end to exploitation directly or indirectly. IT IS FREEDOM AND DICTATORSHIP AT THE SAME TIME!!!

Most American think tanks have dubious connections such as CIA funding. Their findings are inherently suspect. Also, criteria for judging freedom are notoriously subjective.
Does an American have the freedom to walk at midnight in Central Park New York without the fear of being mugged? You can walk anywhere in Singapore at any time but indiuvidual freedom is definitley somewhat curbed there.
The idea of some self declared experts sitting on jugment on whole nations without undestanding local conditions and compulsions is repugnat. I will take these findings with a ton of salt.

Captain Mohan Ram, Bangalore, India.

I'm so sick of being described as "not free," "living under suppression," "human rights offenders" and "communists."

The moments I felt I'm not free is when I was asked to undressed at U.S. airports and having to press my fingers on a scanner like a criminal at U.S. customs.

Keep on categorizing China as such, however, because it won't change the fact that most Chinese people have enjoyed more freedom - not less - in recent years.

What is not free is the observers' mind. I had the freedom to read and understand their narrowness.

...and the countries considered not free are also the ones not comfortable to the rich and powerful in the part of the world where we read economist. Hmmmmm...

This is really disturbing.

@Sex-master +1
Every time i heard 'freedom','democracy' etc i wonder what are people talking about? while 'democracy' has at least definite
meaning, 'freedom' hasn't...

I am not, of course, mind reader, so i just guess. As i have understood 'The Free World' it's when all countries have *democracy* which is builded by ONE model and approved by speatial MAIN democrate (freedom house?)...

PS if somebody refuse he will be bombed(variants are possible:sanctioned, blamed) and teached what system is much sustainable and convenient to him and it HAS to work...

FREE, what an illusional word!

EcoNguyen

Atleast not in BOATS.

Where did you sail to !!

No definite meaning for freedom, or a free country ? Some prerequisites might include the freedom to report on corruption without fear of being shot, the freedom to protest against an unfair election without being beaten, the freedom to run for public office without being sued into penury by the incumbant government, and the freedom to raise prices in response to suprise devaluations without the threat of having your business nationalised. We could probably exclude countries where such things happen from a set of 'free countries'. Having access to an internet service that isn't monitored by several hundred thousand secret policemen is probably a freedom. How about being able to crank out conspiracy theories no matter how ludicrous, illogical, or even offensive? In a free country one or two of the literally hundreds of competitive media outlets may even choose to report such theories, and if you get lucky a well funded bunch may even help you make a documentary about it (you can distribute it on the free internet by the way). You won't get put in jail or an asylum, not even if the money comes from someone who opposes government policy or has questioned the leaders hair colour!

These countries seem to be poor and uncultured.

how it HAS to work, sorry

I realize that political freedom is referred to in this article, but I'd like to point out that, on the one hand, one's attitude can make a huge difference because internal freedom is never taken away--only surrendered. On the other hand, there's not a whole lot of political or social freedom left in the land of the free and the home of the brave--certainly not as much as ignorant USers, puffed up with unearned and undeserved pride, think there is.

Ask an Indian or Phillipinos if they like to live and raise their children in their native "free" countries or in less or almost non-free country like Singapore, Quatar, etc. They all seems desperately to flee away from their freedom.

Puerto Rico is free?

Is this a biased opinion?

http://www.freedomhouse.org/uploads/fiw10/FIW_2010_Overview_Essay.pdf

Well there has been an economic crisis. And the 'free' countries have hardly been bastions for freedom internationally or domestically more recently.