Here’s the Friday open comments post.

Today’s suggested topic — are we more are less free today, as against a decade, or a generation, ago?

Are we freer today?

Here’s my take:

Yes, of course, if one looks at times when whole groups of people were denied liberty. From that vantage, we’re far better off today than 1810, 1910, or even 1960.

Yet, recently developing risks to freedom are considerable. Both government officials and major institutions often oppose the empowering technologies that allow common people to express themselves. It all seems so disorderly and chaotic — and challenging — to those who started their careers before these technologies existed. They expected a different world, one of deference (nearly to the point of servility), and it’s not the world in which they now work. They’re ill-suited for the new climate, but rather than recognize their own limitations, they work to limit speech and action to prevent discussion of those limitations.

There’s a pose in all this, that father knows best, and that ordinary Americans are simply unruly children. It’s nonsense, and just a conceit to which mediocre managers and officials cling to comfort themselves: It’s all so hard, people are so savage, and we’re misunderstood.

There’s a generational problem, but not only a generational problem. Some of these officials are men in their fifties, or older, who came of age believing in horse carts, only to find that Americans came to adopt automobiles, so to speak.

What do you think? Freer, less free, about the same?

The use of pseudonyms and anonymous postings is, of course, fine.

Although the comments template has a space for a name, email address, and website, those who want to leave a field blank can do so. Comments will be moderated, against profanity or trolls. Otherwise, have at it.

I’ll keep the post open through Sunday afternoon.

Have at it.