"Freedom" and personal responsibility in America is largely a shibboleth-- an idea to which only empty homage is paid. In reality the USA is a highly regulated

"Freedom" and personal responsibility in America is largely a shibboleth-- an idea to which only empty homage is paid. In reality the USA is a highly regulated, conformist, and centrally planned society and has been since the days of "manifest destiny." This for those who don't know was the federal push to settle coast to coast and was sort of America's first centrally planned megaproject. Of course most other nations are at least as much this way if not more so. Just pointing out that America is not really special in this regard.