Freedom

Does the Government Own You—or Do You Own Yourself?

"Why should somebody else have this right to decide the direction of my own life?" asks Timothy Sandefur, author of the book You Don't Own Me.

John Stossel | 4.1.2026 2:40 PM

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(Stossel TV)

Politicians tax what we earn, regulate what we build, and often decide what we can do with our bodies and our money.

I like to think I own myself. But politicians increasingly act as if they do.

"People should not have power over other people's lives," says Timothy Sandefur, author of the book You Don't Own Me.

In my latest video, Sandefur challenges the attitude that "freedom belongs to the government and it can parcel it out to us."

He starts with building permits.

"A building permit really says, you're not allowed to build on your own property until the government gives you permission. And you have to pay for that permission. The government has essentially confiscated your land and sells it back to you in exchange for more rights."

Such government control makes it harder to build anything.

"The Empire State........

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