The truth, however, is that as Montesquieu wrote, "There is no word that admits of more various significations and has made more varied impressions on the human mind than that of liberty."

In most instances, to the public "liberty" either means, "The privilege of being governed by a native of their own country, or by their own laws." It is perhaps the easiest to think of this as "being allowed to live as you are accustomed to." Outside of those who have been in various ways sold on some American think tank conception of freedom, the idea that any great mass of people in foreign countries—much less an electoral majority—want "freedom" in the way that we understand it is sheer fantasy. And yet, that fantasy that people across the world want our form of "free government," which is not working so well for us, by the way, is a warmonger's myth that simply will not die.

Even in America, where we have a common culture and intellectual traditions, the understanding of freedom varies wildly and is often little more than "what I like." The word has been endlessly studied and discussed by libertarians, and even there, its meaning is not universally agreed on, though Matt Kibbe's preschool ethics version of, "Don't hurt people and don't take their stuff" is preferred by many. Both John Locke and Montesquieu argue in different ways that liberty is the right to manage your own affairs in keeping with the laws of your country, for if you could violate those laws than your liberty would never be secure from others. This understanding, firmly within our tradition, shows that across the world freedom would mean different things.