Little Hawk, Nor, come to that, did the Native Americans you talk about. They had a fairly elaborate social structure. (Even the more or less nomadic tribes) And for the nomadic tribes, often with more rigid controls than those found in more complex cultures. Move over to the Iroquois Confederation and you find a culture that was arguably more complex and sophisticated than any in Europe at the time. And had as many constraints on freedom as would any complex and fairly large society.

Society at any level imposes constraints, out of necessity. As humans, we need other people. Initially to raise/protect/feed us until we can do so on our own, then to develop beyond (metaphorically) the grunting stage. There seems to be a biologic need for others as an integral part of development (especially cognitive)and that seems to require some commonality, and so constraints on absolute freedom.

Clearly, modern society is a form of subtle (and not so subtle) slavery. Some of the freedom we trade is done willingly, a lot not. Clearly, the least freedom given up, the better. My point was more to the spirit of the motto than literal interpretation. Especially in contrast to the current motto.

Is freedom willingly given up truly slavery? Absolute freedom seems as dangerous as any absolute. Intuitively anyway.

Regards John