Opinions and attitudes toward our government will always differ in a nation of over 290 million diverse people. It's the barely hidden contempt some people (not meaning you, Rev) have for their country that I often find alarming and disgusting.
We can all disagree on politicians and policies, as we often do, but when it comes to 'America' being slammed as 'imperialist', 'racist', 'oppressive' and other absurd denigrations I see so casually spewed on internet messageboards, that is offensive as well as stupid.
To an immigrant like CupCake, who has actually
lived with
true (not theoretical) oppression, poverty and other experiences virtually unknown in America, seeing comfortable, totally free middle-class people saying such things about the freest and most prosperous nation on the planet, a nation that is their mother country, as it were, must just seem crazy.
I couldn't blame her.
In some circles, trashing America has somehow become 'patriotic' and praising America the mark of the fool...in their view. Free-thinkers like this lose me. Intellectual-wannabes that are too smart to think, in my opinion. I don't subscribe to the concept that America can not be improved. That should be a given. It's the
definition of what constitutes 'improvement' that is the base of the conflict between those who love and appreciate their country and those who,, too often, consider themselves 'citizens of the world', see honest patriotism as xenophobia or a 'cover' for suspected sinister intentions and think it's 'patriotic' to slander America.
We can easily dispute the specific policies and programns of any administration and politicians are always flawed, easily dissected and often found wanting in some area. That is democracy at work and the 'complaining and whining' can be useful, in some - but not all - cases. I'll never tell someone not to complain about any aspect of governmentt even if I disagree. That makes for healthy discussion, as you noted earlier. It's the sneering dismissal and denigration of America as a free country, founded on great moral and legal principles and still growing and evolving today that offends both 'Cup Cake' and folks like me.
I'm offended by the left's almost maniacal focus on things like slavery and the destruction of Native Americans, all a part of our history, to be sure, but too often overdrawn and wrongly used to call America an 'oppressor' and other inane names while ignoring the unprecedented opportunities this great nation offers. Our national success is sometimes seen as the exploitation of people and resources instead of a model of the efficiency of capitalism, the free market and the native ambition and hard work of millions and millions of Americans, mostly all immigrants at some point in the past and even today. It would be foolish to ignore dark parts of our national history or to refuse to deal with mistakes and misjudgements made decades, sometimes centuries ago. America is not 'perfect' and no one believes that it is. However, on balance, 'America' - and all that name includes - is the best the world can offer to anyone today, warts and all.
I am proud of my country and glad to welcome others like 'CupCake' into it. That she deeply appreciates our nation and all it offers both personally and financially is a refreshing change from spoiled Americans trashing their own country and believing that doing so is somehow both 'patriotic' and sophisticated instead of being merely ungrateful and willfully blind to reality and the world around them. I've had a bellyful of that attitude. I would hope others have , too. I applaud CupCake and her positive attitude here. She'll make a fine American.
