Quote from EconomicFreedom.org
"It’s the freedom to choose how to produce, sell, and use your own resources, while respecting others’ rights to do the same"
Many times though quite a lot of people have a problem with 'economic freedom'. These are the same individuals that call for compulsory taxation; Arbitrarily being forced to give up funds in order to fund a government, who most of the time shares none of our best interests. The same ones who call for the imprisonment of nonviolent offenders. Yes, the very one's claiming that people who support keeping their hard earned money in their pockets are soulless, banksters, and drones of the rich, ("Kochsucker"- funny because my income level, just myself, is under the rate of national poverty).
Economic freedom extends more than just about money, or stocks. Absolutely, it's entailed into everything we do, everyday. We have the economic freedom to purchase the very device you are using right now. Food in your fridge, we have the economic freedom to either grow our own (depending on local statutes), or shop at the store or the farmers markets. This freedom compliments personal freedoms absolutely, and if there is no economic freedom there is no personal freedom.
Whatever You're Just A Capitalist Shill
However you see it, though take this into account. Marijuana has been on the news lately (and other drugs/herbs), and has even been coined with the LGBT movement as today's 'Civil Rights Movement'. What are people advocating for, the removal of prohibitionist laws in which Marijuana can be bought, sold and traded at different degrees of quality and potency for multiple uses (not just medical and recreational), thus improving economic freedom; It gives you the opportunity to earn your purchase... It extends personal freedom because now you're not going to jail for a plant in your possession, nor paying fines, or medical bills (from police brutality).
Bisexuals, gays, lesbians, transsexuals, polygamists etc., what are they advocating for? The freedom to be looked upon and become approved by the government in holy matrimony (through government registration); what will come of this exactly, the joint of your credit scores, and assets in order for you to increase your credit limit, so then you can purchase grander items and pay them over time. That sounds a lot like economic freedom to me (per se), not only that but the wedding, reception, parties, and the alcohol. Somebody's paying for something. I wonder if it's not considered freedom if the government is involved... :)
Absolutely.
If You Don't Pay Taxes You're Against The Poor
Well let's see, the poor, specifically minorities are the ones who get pushed around the most for victim-less crimes especially drugs, and forms of violence (which stems from the Drug War). They are beaten, and fined, many times seeing imprisonment that leads to the break up of families, the removal of children from their parents, etc. Which then fosters this ideal in the local communities psyche of further resentment of government (rightfully so), which they will instead opt for separate oppressive powers in that of mafias, gangs, and drug cartels (which is the alternative for many young teens). If say drugs were legalized, we wouldn't be making them poor by taking their money on a personal choice they made, which harms no one except themselves, in a super majority of cases.
Which then goes to my next point about gun control, I'm not the one trying to prevent good poor communities from protecting themselves from inadvertent violence caused by the regulation of drugs (Thanks government). Gun control is a huge hamper on the poor, the one's truly calling for gun control are people who already have a nice house, or filthy stinking rich (such as Bloomberg), they possibly have no idea what it's like to live in poor communities riddled with drug related violence. To further add, the pharmaceutical companies make billions on over priced 'drugs' thanks to prohibition from researching and trading said illicit drugs, if other drugs were legally available, there will be cheaper alternatives and it will open the gate to great competition in practically a government run monopoly (The FDA).
Health regulation, and the prohibition of personal choices results in the poor being poor in the first place. Which goes on to paying taxes; for instance the majority of my tax dollars are being used to bomb poor people in other countries (in search of 'terrorists'). There is the issue with Social Security in that it is practically pointless when 401k's and other retirement plans have a much higher return rate, yet it is mandatory to pay into Social Security, regardless, if you have a much better service (which is practically all the time). Then we move onto health insurance, and the idea that now full time employees (especially near or at minimum wage jobs) have had their pay or hours cut into part time due to the markets reaction to terrible policy (The Affordable Care Act).
Semantics, I Want Historical Facts!
Economic freedom is what we should advocate for, personal and economic freedom are not one in the same, but taking history into account, the rise of democracies came after the fact that the countries decreased their regulations and privatized their nationalized businesses. A good example of a rise in democracy, a rise in economic freedom, and quite a fair amount of personal wealth growth on the news today would be Hong Kong (a partitioned city done so by the Brits on China's soil), the freest economy in the world. The USA when it was Classically Liberal and favored a mild approach of free market capitalism (of course with crony capitalism involved; Railroads, automotive, oil.) in its early years when separating itself from the clutches of English Rule. We also have the fall of the Spanish Monarchy, and removing of dictatorships in South America in favor of democratically elected officials freeing up the markets. Where now actually some "socialist" nations in South America are experiencing abysmal inflation due to social liberal policies, Venezuela for example.
