Comment by doubleshame

A free society can be nice as well!

"nice" and "free" are not symmetrical concepts.

Being nice but not free works for today, but has no guarantee of working for tomorrow. Being free means that we have the ability to evolve our ideas and work towards niceness for all of the future as well.

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

An unfree society gives up the ability to evolve and dies, even if it buys us convenient niceness on a short term. An unfree society lowers our chances of being nice tomorrow.