In the modern authoritarian leaning USA people are more concerned with outside influences to make decisions for them. To have an intellectual pursuit that isn't dictated by an authority is unthinkable to most. When every act in life is told to you it becomes impossible for people to think and do for themselves. That is why the more laws they make the more criminals there are. When you are made to follow you lose the ability to think for yourself. Just look at the flat earthers or qanaon, they cant even see reality in front of their faces. Let alone come up with an original idea. Free thought and creativity are stifled in this kind of society. Freedom is more than a bunch of civil and criminal laws, it is the ability for one to think. The scope of our countries ability to progress is directly related to peoples ability to think for themselves. To bad with all the info available people cant use it. As long as they are not allowed to be free no amount of info will save this country for authorities that do for themselves and a populace that does for the few...