@hardtoconfuse To be fair, the US is one of the world leaders when it comes to issues of free speech. Hitchen's has praised the US for this many times as well. There are still many countries in the EU and other parts of the world where you can still be arrested for saying or publishing something bad about certain races or religions, speaking out against the government, denying the holocaust etc. However when it comes to incarcerating it's own citizens, the US has a disgusting track record, most of it due to the governments illegal drug war and the accompanying network of privatized prison system mobsters and lobbyist.