Reason's 35 greatest contributors to freedom (or grooviness) has discussed before on this blog, but this excellent article by Kevin Michael Grace shows how incredibly stupid the list. For those who haven't seen the list includes such champions of freedom ranging from the pseudo anti-communist, globalist Vaclav Havel to the outright Communist Nelson Mandela combined with various pop icons who have destroyed common decency like Madonna, Dennis Rodman, and the pornographer Larry Flynt. In addition to exposing the absurdity of their choices, Grace also challenges the assumption that America is freer than it was 35 years ago.
In any event, Reason’s list is based on a false premise. The world may be freer since 1968, but Reason’s editors do not live in the world, they live in the United States. And only a fool or liar would deny that America is much less free than it was 35 years ago. There is no sphere of human activity that American governments do not seek to regulate—except the sexual sphere. Laws proliferate at such a rate that everyone is a law-breaker. There is nowhere Americans can go when they simply want to be left alone. Just ask Randy Weaver and David Koresh. Meanwhile, the range of acceptable opinion becomes ever more narrow. Just ask Al Campanis, Jimmy the Greek, Trent Lott, Rush Limbaugh, Gregg Easterbrook, et al. The world we live in may be dizzying in its variety, but America becomes less “diverse” with each passing day.