The Star Spangled Banner [which is the National Anthem of the United States of America] ends with the following verse: "The Land Of The Free and The Home Of The Brave". The United States of America also loves to tell the world that it is free and democratic but when it takes a look at itself, it does not appear to be free. In order for freedom to exist, people have to take a look inside their society before judging others. The soul searching is not anti-American.

I.Discrimination Against Political Parties Other Than Republicans and Democrats.

The United States of America has elections every four years and all of the political parties are represented. The only parties that win any elections are the Republican and Democratic Party. The reason is they have the mechanisms, and the money as well as the support of the media for their opinions while the Libertarians and Greens among others are left out in the cold. According to the Coalition for Free and Open Elections, this has lead to the United States being ranked 114th in voter presence in election day.

The reasons have been that the alternative parties have to pay excessive fees and fulfill requirements that are outrageous while the Republicans and Democrats fulfill almost none and are allowed to skirt the election laws to their advantage. The state of California requires 140,149 signatures within 15 weeks while Oklahoma has 58,522 signatures as a requirement. How can the United States of America with its governing elite declare itself the land of the free when the alternative party candidates have almost no rights? The conclusion is that the elections in America is a mockery of the USA claiming to be the land of the free.

II.School Prayer and the Presence of Religion In School

The Elite who govern the United States of America love to talk about the separation of church and state while professing to believe in Freedom of Religion. In the early 1960's, the Supreme Court decided against Prayer in Public School a ruling which interfered with the religious freedom of Christians [who are a majority in America].

At the same time, the rights of other groups have been favored over those of the Christians

III.Medicare and Medicaid

The Medicare and Medicaid programs which are part of the Social Security Act are examples of how America is not a free nation. Medicare is a Federal Health Insurance for people with End Stage Renal Failure as well as those over 65 years of age. Medicaid is a joint Federal and State Program for the Indigent.

When a person reaches retirement, he or she is force to join Medicare or forgo Social Security payments. This is not an example of freedom but of tyranny. Kent Masterson Brown who was an attorney in one of the cases of forced Medicare declared that forcing people to participate in Medicare violates the Constitution and interferes with the right of people to make their own decision concerning health care.

If people want Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, they have that right but the programs should be voluntary instead of mandatory.

The United States of America should clean up its act concerning freedom and democracy before lecturing the world. The clean up would include the above mentioned topics as well as coercion into labor union memberships.

Learn more about this author, Roberto Alvarez-Galloso.
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