Losing My Patriotism...

[HollyLooya]

I started out as a very patriotic American. Now, at age thirty-seven, I find I am much more cynical about our nation and I am increasingly distrustful of the system, especially since Clinton made such a travesty of leadership and sooo many Americans defended and excused him (Let me add that I deeply admire and appreciate George W. Bush -- thank GOD he won!). But in the name of "freedom" and "rights," our country produces so much smut (I refuse to do any business, for example, with AT&T, among other large companies, because of their huge investments in porn) and immorality in the media and otherwise. Now they are trying to legalize homosexual marriage, get rid of the Boy Scouts, make child porn acceptable, and remove "under God" from the Pledge. I realize that many, many people in this country do not advocate liberal ideas and promote liberal legislation, but I am becoming increasingly bitter and disillusioned about this (once?) great nation we live in. Sometimes I catch myself fantisizing about moving to another country where traditional values still have a stronghold in the average person's life, but 1) I don't know what country, if any, that would be, and 2) I still love the USA. Am I alone here?

[gcruse]

Actually, what you call smut, I call adult entertainment. And as for the 'under God' thing, I don't appreciate having religion shoehorned into our national symbols, but that's just me. Except that we are fighting a putative war wherein our enemy, so Christians tell me, worships a different god, yet there are millions of Muslims in America who we would just as soon not take it upon themselves to become suicide bombers. To go wagging 'our' god in their face as a condition of patriotism strikes me a counterproductive in the extreme.

[boris]

Well I will answer your implicit question seriously, although you seem to be rather new here.

There is a difference between patriotism and gullibility.

It is entirely possible to be deeply patriotic (love your country) and yet to distrust its government and/or power structure and/or 'establishment'.

In fact, one now seems to require the other. Love of country is not incompatible with distrust of its rulers.

--Boris

[Maceman]

All I know is that I find July 4 to be a very sad holiday every year, because it reminds me of how the American people have turned their backs on the philosopy of liberty that made our country great, and instead now worship the golden calf of unlimited federal power.

[luvbach1]

It is entirely possible to be deeply patriotic (love your country) and yet to distrust its government and/or power structure and/or 'establishment'.

This sounds like the liberals' attitude toward the Bush administration (or as they call it, Bushlite or the smirk). Of course, as soon as lib Dem gets in they would suddenly lose their distrust of government.

[jae471]

...I think our governments will remain virtuous for many centuries; as long as they are chiefly agricultural; and this will be as long as there shall be vacant lands in any part of America. When they get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, they will become corrupt as in Europe.

--Thomas Jefferson in a letter to James Madison, 20 December 1787.

[boris]

Of course we know the liberals actually hate America, no matter who is at the helm.