[dchyrdvh]

I have a controversial hypothesis about what creates freedom in nations: it's the self sacrifice of people willing to make others free. In the US it was the independence and civil wars. Then the lazy descendants carelessly waste this freedom until none left, and the nation folds into an authoritarian black hole or enough people start the new cycle by sacrificing themselves. In some sense, creating freedom is like donating all your money to a neighbor and they dying on streets.