Is There Freedom, Or Only The Illusion of Freedom, In America?

This week might not be the best to make this point since PPACA was upheld in all it’s glory, but I digress. It occurred to me that the only way a system of government can break, in the way America’s has, is that there is a fair amount of freedom going around. My imagination tends to get away from me sometimes. I wonder what would happen if SJS became as large as we dream? What if we really interrupted the structures of power? I wonder because it seems that we are doing a fairly good job of exercising our first Amendment rights in our little digital space.  It occurs to me that freedom is not the issue, but that conflict resolution is a skill that American politicians lack. I can say what I want in this blog and I don’t have to worry about a future water boarding incident. Well that’s it actually, I wonder if we still do. The internet has changed things. There are as many dark corners here as pubs back in good ole Boston. If it came to pass that we were making powerful people angry would they still resort to the same tactics that were used against movements in India, South Africa and right here in America? In some ways that happened to Occupy, but not nearly in the same scope of oppression the former met with. I think bout things like cyber attacks on blog, or viruses on nuclear power plants. This post is getting away from me so let end with a basic question. Have things changed in America since Civil Right?