While in Costa Rica last winter, I had an interesting conversation with a local pharmacist. Given my subpar Spanish, it was a pleasant surprise to find that when I walked into the pharmacy the pharmacist working that day happened to be quite fluent in English. We got chatting and when I mentioned I was from Canada, he told me he had visited Toronto once before on vacation. He then proceeded to tell me that during his trip there he rented a car, which he parked on the street overnight outside his hotel. The next morning when he went outside to go get in his rental car, it was nowhere to be found. Confused and thinking someone may have stolen it, he went back inside to speak with the hotel staff. They informed him that his rental car was towed because he parked it in a tow away zone.
The pharmacist told me it never would have occurred to him that having his car towed was even a possibility. Where he lives in Costa Rica, parking rules aren’t enforced (if they even exist in the first place). After finishing his story, he commented that although he enjoys visiting Canada and the U.S., he would never want to live in either country because there are “too many rules.” Additionally, he mentioned that many foreigners from Canada and the U.S. come to Costa Rica to take a break from the abundance of rules and laws present in their home countries, and to enjoy the freedom that Costa Rica offers.
This pharmacist wasn’t the only person I met during my time there that shared this opinion. When I asked other locals if they liked living in Costa Rica, they offered a similar reply to the pharmacist’s, telling me that they liked the way of life and freedom that they have in Costa Rica.
A photo I took of Espadilla Beach in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
Hearing their perspectives got me thinking. Is it possible that a developing country like Costa Rica is actually freer than Canada and the U.S.? Well, I guess that depends on how you measure freedom.
As defined by Cambridge Dictionary (n.d.), freedom is “the condition or right of being able or allowed to do, say, think, etc. whatever you want to, without being controlled or limited.” Given this definition, it should be relatively easy to identify which countries provide their citizens freedom based on their legal and governmental systems. However, when trying to quantify freedom and compare between countries it becomes a much more subjective task. This is because everyone’s definition of what they and their fellow citizens should be free to do is unique to their own values. For example, those who think that firearms should be heavily regulated or outright prohibited, likely do not view themselves or their country as less free, because they view this restriction on their freedom to own firearms as justified. Furthermore, they presumably will not view themselves or their country as “unfree” because of these firearm laws. In fact, they may even feel freer living in a country which prohibits firearm ownership, given the perceived sense of security that living in a gun-free society provides for many.
Additionally, it is challenging to quantify which aspects of freedom bear more weight in determining how free a country is since they are highly subjective. For example, some may perceive Canada to be freer than the U.S. because marijuana is legal under federal law and because residents can access a wide variety of healthcare services, regardless of their ability to pay. On the contrary, some may perceive the U.S. as freer because there are less restrictions on gun ownership and taxes are lower in many states.
Some may also perceive that these two countries pale in comparison to Costa Rica and the degree of freedom that the country offers. Costa Rica (which also has a representative government) permits firearm ownership, has considerably lower taxes than both Canada and the U.S., has a universal healthcare system and in my experience, is less of a rule-following society than Canada and the U.S. (Columbia, n.d.; Freedom House, 2021; Ley de Armas y Explosivos, 2001; PWC, 2023). Now, this does not mean that the degree of freedom enjoyed in Costa Rica is inherently preferable, as there are potentially negative safety and societal implications that stem from having less rules and regulations. However, for some, it may be preferable if it aligns with their values.
In addition to values, I believe that unique individual identities and life circumstances are also crucial in shaping our perceptions of freedom. An individual could live in a country which they believe is free in accordance with their values, but in their day to day lives do not feel free. For example, a Canadian who is living in poverty and unable to afford prescription medications may not feel very free, despite living in a democracy with strong rule of law and a comprehensive constitution. This lack of freedom in organizing their lives as they best see fit would likely impact their perception of freedom in their country.
References
Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Freedom. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/freedom
Columbia. (n.d.). COSTA RICA | Summary. https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/research/others/comparative-health-policy-library/costa-rica-summary
Freedom House. (2021). Costa Rica. https://freedomhouse.org/country/costa-rica/freedom-world/2021
Ley de Armas y Explosivos. (2001, Artículo 20). http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_texto_completo.aspx?param1=NRTC&nValor1=1&nValor2=26048&nValor3=84992
PWC. (2023). Costa Rica – Individual – Taxes on personal income. https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/costa-rica/individual/taxes-on-personal-income