freedom is not free

== English == === Alternative forms === freedom ain't free freedom isn't free freedom's not free === Proverb === freedom is not free (chiefly US politics) For freedom to exist as a legal right in a country, it has to actively be fought for and protected (e.g. by the military). ==== Usage notes ==== Used widely in the United States to express gratitude to the military for defending freedom, and thus to justify the existence of a powerful military, or of military presence in other countries. ==== See also ==== there's no such thing as a free lunch