[Thomen]

Originally Posted by Aramike

If you were a business owner you'd immediately understand that you have greater rights in the US. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you can't open a store on Sunday, right - not to mention extremely strict hours of permitted operation otherwise.

What about the employees that want Sundays off? They are SOL because the owner wants the store open on Sundays?

And, I was a business owner over there, and I certainly enjoyed my weekends off.

What you consider freedoms, is nothing more than shifting rights (and freedoms) around for the purpose of profit (which is another freedom, more or less)

It is a toss up between the rights and freedoms of employers and employees. As an employee you have way more rights and freedom in Germany than you have in the US. Isn't that freedom also or are you saying employees should have less freedom for the sake of generating profit for their employer?

More freedom is not necessary equal to making more money for your boss.

However, I can see the flip side to this, and that is the consumer, but then again if we keep following this we go around in a circle.

What about compulsory civil/military service? Or what about the mandatory distribution of half your assets (is this just liquid?) to your nearest relatives despite your will? What about truck driving laws?

Until not too long ago there was also a draft here in the US. Yes, is not longer used, but it was not repealed or anything, it was just not extended any further after it expired the last time around. Even today there is a remnant of this still on the books and is mandatory (Selective Service).

What you're talking about is the classic security v. liberty argument. The culture you come from has decided that they prefer security. Our culture has gone for liberty. Like it or not, that means we are a freer nation than most others, with all the problems incumbent upon that freedom.

It is a tradeoff to be sure. Here, we accept the perhaps .0001% chance of getting murdered at any moment in exchange for exapanded freedoms. Germans, for instance, prefer a .000001% chance (those numbers are for dramatization purposes only) so they have further restrictions. Neither side is right or wrong.

You got a good point there. I'd like to know what would be considered a good mix, though.

IMHO, this whole discussion about which country provides more or less freedom is purely philosophical and definition of freedom depends more often than not on the mindset of the individual. I also do think that there is no 'wrong' or 'right' in this, since it is largely depended on the individual interpretation of freedom.

Originally Posted by Tater

Is there a State church in Germany? Even if not powerful as it once may have been, what we'd call a "blue law" in the US, is there separation—explicit—of church and state? How about political speech? Can you be a Nazi in Germany if you like? Hateful as that might be, you cannot ban a party and have free political speech, the two are mutually exclusive. The US never banned the Communist Party (CPUSA) even though it was funded, and completely controlled by Moscow, for example.

State church or Religion? I think, the state religion is Christianity, but don't ask me which denomination. Since nobody can force you to follow it, it is a rather mood argument and i never cared for it either way.

You actually can be a Nazi if you like, you are just not allowed to publicly spread your dogma, which, as you rightly noted can be seen as an infringement.

The ban of the Nazi parties was more on the grounds of hate speech and criminal activity ( please correct me if I am wrong), than anything else, I think. Even in the US, you can get into trouble for this.