Yes I suppose I operate from a position of assuming that by "freedom" we aren't talking about the complete set of possible freedoms, but the more narrow view of freedom that is associated with modern liberalism. But you're right that there is a blurred line between linguistics and philosophy. The two, although separate, aren't really separable. They're inextricably convolved. Anyway, I did enjoy the writing, but it's always more fun to critique than to compliment, just to get the conversation moving :)You and I might care about free speech but, frankly, many people don’t. There are all sorts of ways a society can call itself free, and that is really my point. When a person says “I live in a free country” they haven’t told you anything until you find out what kind of freedom they care about.