Tragically, America has been at war for 93% of its existence as a nation.
World War II -- industrially, coupled with sound after-war domestic policy -- saw the American Dream became established. However, each succeeding war brought less freedom and a decline in economic prosperity for Americans, especially in the aftermath of The Vietnam War.
Our freedom of liberty (Patriot Act, drug war, habeas corpus, censorship, etc.) has taken an enormous whack. The freedom of economic opportunity has woefully declined as 85-95% of a wealth generated in America now goes to the fat cats at the top. The freedom of travel increasingly becomes minimized as people now work longer hours for less pay and are stuck with high rents or mortgages.
Even the freedom to go to a bar and afford a cover charge to hear an original band perform has become near-impossible these days. The return home is like riding a gauntlet of policing! One used to easily be able to go into a pub, buy a Guinness and debate politics. Even this important population has declined!
Indeed, America's War on Drugs has taken its toll on our liberty! Politicians pushing "I'm tough on crime, I'm tough on drugs, elect me" have only worsened the condition of our liberties, mandatory sentencing being but one example.
Other examples include:
One of every 107 is involved with the prison system, more and more privatized using slave labor, where America jails 25% of the world's prisoners.
One in 55 are involved with America's probationary system, which also is becoming privatized. Horrifically, this statistic is one in 18 in Georgia!
Three-quarters of the 4.5 million Americans on probation or parole were convicted of nonviolent offenses.
- Drug forfeiture laws often become unbearable, certainly unconstitutional.
- Urine-testing companies have seen a heyday of profiteering.
https://www.envisioninteligence.com/industry-report/global-drug-screening-market/
- Investors are now lining up to invest in private policing.
Today, under an oligarchy form of government in the US, corporations continually are deregulated by our politicians nearly every judge on our courts sides with corporations over people (see The Princeton Study on Oligarchy). America's wars or proxy wars are waged not defensive wars but wars fought in order to gain corporate or geopolitical advantage. The US presently has over 900 military bases located world wide. Russia and China combined barely make a dozen!
These military bases exist not to defend our liberty. They exist as corporate wars. Typically, the US either dictates the roles of governments in other nations, either by overthrowing a government, meddling in a democratic election or siding with dictatorial forms of governments. Presently, the US militarily supports 73% of dictatorial governments.
BEGGING QUESTION:
When will you begin supporting politicians who reject all of the above?