Why do Americans consider themselves free?

First of all, this is not a rant on the USA. I myself am European and see many similarities between the USA and my own country. I also don’t hate the USA and think there’s a lot of beauty in the country.<br><br>But I’m genuinely wondering...<br><br>The US has drone wars, the USA has the largest prison population in the world (and the largest in absolute numbers, as % of population and historically), Americans are being surveilled, they have an oligarchic government that does whatever it wants and can only be influenced in the most minor of ways by the population, the media is heavily biased and Americans get screwed over every day by big business. Exploited to the bone.<br><br>And still, even the most poor ppl in the US brag about living in the freest country on earth, even if they get exploited to hell and back.<br><br>I don’t get it. Why does everyone consider themselves free in that country?...<br><br>Honestly, I don’t see any freedoms the USA has that European countries don’t. On the other hand it has a lot of problems Europeans don’t have.