Well treated, but still serfs

One of the biggest challenges for promoters of smaller government, freer markets and Original Constitutional Intent is that most Americans may acknowledge there are problems, but things are still "better than anywhere else." It's the same concession Winston Churchill once made: "democracy is the worst form of government... except for all the others."

While there's a grain of truth to that--we'll never achieve perfection this side of eternity--there's a risk of laziness involved. Just because the shackles are cushion-lined for comfort doesn't mean they aren't there, or any less restricting. And just because you think "we're #1" doesn't mean everything is running correctly, or even as well as it could be. It might be a commentary on how pathetic the competition really is. Is that what we want to settle for?

Vox, as usual, boils down the dilemma very well:

The luxurious chains that Americans wear will always chafe those who love liberty, but it must also be recognized that they are far from the worst that humanity has endured.