"Freedom in America is always about government NOT doing something, while in Europe government is defined as a protector of these freedoms. This shows up clearly with respect to stating an opinion at a US company. There is no protection of free speech on private property in the US. I first encountered this when our company got bought by an American one and they insisted that religion and politics should not be discussed at work. It surprised them that such a demand was illegal in Norway. Private property does not trump everything else as it often seems to do in the US."