Why are Americans so Patriotic?

[DracoSuave]

I'm a patriot, in Canada. Patriotism doesn't have to involve flag waving, but I love my country, and everything it stands for.

This doesn't mean that I have to love:

My government
Any wars my country is in
Any laws my country passes
Any cultural changes I perceive
Any lack of cultural change when I believe it appropriate.

As a patriot I feel it is my duty to question, involve, and otherwise opine on natures of national interest. Why? Because the country I love is a democracy, and we have the rights to do so. Loving having those rights means loving to exercise those rights.



This, of course, is why a lot of examples of American patriotism gripe me. America is founded on the same rights of free speech and democratic opinion as any other... however a lot of american political rhetoric becomes silenced with the implicit, or explicit 'Well, don't youi love america?' question that is used to silence political dissent.

If your country's values include the embrace of free speech, and you don't like free speech, chances are, you're not as patriotic as you think.

 

[Furioso]

What's wrong with having pride in your country? If you love where you live you should defend it, I'm not saying beat the tar out of anyone who dislikes America or anything but when did liking where you live become a bad thing?

i didn't say it was a bad thing, standing on top of a street lamp and singing "twinkle twinkle little star" isn't a bad thing but that doesn't mean people won't wonder why you're doing it

No that would be a very weird thing to do, how is liking where you live a weird thing?

 

[minimacker]

Probably because they shot the natives, got a ton of African slaves, broke off from the UK to become independent and then proceeded to plant their flag on every square-feet of soil.

Worked surprisingly well. They're now the leading nation in the world.

 

[mrF00bar]

if someone came up to be and said "hey, england's crap!" i'd just say "yeah, it is a bit"

I can agree with you on that. xD

 

[MaxwellEdison]

]

Indeed. And I would actually add to this that sometimes patriotism, particularly in the most prevalent view of American patriotism, gets jumbled in with such things as unquestioning loyalty to ones government, president or military. And I think that's the most disturbing thing about some people's view of patriotism.

Interestingly enough, people who defined patriotism as unquestioned loyalty to the President in 2007 seem to have changed their minds

 

[Bishop99999999]

Fridge full of beer, closet full of guns.

America. Fuck yeah.

 

[Something Amyss]

In all fairness, they're not forced, but they're told to recite it and not notified they can abstain, at least when I was growing up.

We were told we had to. A lot of people are.

At that point, it doesn't particularly matter if you're right. You'll get punished anyway.

 

[DanielBrown]

I blame those cheesy patriotic speeches from both the government and the action heroes in movies.
Propaganda. Propaganda everywhere!

 

[Geeky Anomaly]

There is a reason that every morning, public school kids are made to stand and read the Pledge like we're goddamn Hitler youths.

Actually, they are not FORCED to recite the pledge. The have the right to abstain.

In all fairness, they're not forced, but they're told to recite it and not notified they can abstain, at least when I was growing up.

Aye sir. This is true, the right to abstain, while not new, the knowledge of it is more widely spread now more than 20 years ago.

I was raised in a military family; my father never told me to recite the pledge, and I went to a medium-sized public school in southern Indiana, not once did we recite the pledge in a classroom. The only time the pledge was recited was at school sporting events, followed by the national anthem. I guess my school was unique, maybe that's why I am too.

 

[The-Epicly-Named-Man]

The issue isn't patriotism, it's arrogance. Stop waving your d*ck in my face and bragging about constitutional facets that most modern nations already have a version of, and I'll stop calling you an idiot.

 

[Russirishican]

Well if I insulted the Queen of England I'd be rugby tackled by every bobby in London while being forced to eat rotten fish and chips.

Similarly to how British go nuts over a person who is essentially a figure head and has almost no political control over her country, we go nuts over a place that honestly isn't very nice anymore.

Really the only difference is that we're patriotic about the nation as a whole and British people are patriotic about one person.
Of course British people are only an example but they are always the first ones to go on about it.

 

[DRes82]

What is wrong with Patriotism? Seriously? Is it really that awful to take pride in where you live? The accomplishments of a nation that you help support and that helps support you?

I think the better question is why aren't other countries as patriotic as Americans?

Lot of talk about a 'vocal minority'. I think you'll find that the vocal minority is far overshadowed by the unvocal majority of people like me, who do actually take a little pride in their country.

I mean after all, we are the most powerful nation in the world...and we're only 236 years old.

 

[Something Amyss]

Interestingly enough, people who defined patriotism as unquestioned loyalty to the President in 2007 seem to have changed their minds

Yeah, you'll notice the definition of "patriotism" depends on many things, one of which is who's in power.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

The thing about America is that it is NOT a single culture. We're an incredibly mixed culture with much variation.

If you said that America was crap, yes, a fair number of Americans would get pissy about it, but equally many would agree with you completely.

The difference in culture between the ultra conservative Texas, the nanny-stateist California and New York, the meth-dealing Tenessee, and the other states...It's like lumping France in with Latvia as far as culture goes. Sure, they're both European and share a "similar" history, but the similarities stop there.

Even the laws among states are very different, and the education system in some states REALLY pushes patriotism while other states don't at all.

So, in conclusion, yes, I would say that it's a bit of an unfair stereotype. Although, simple patriotism isn't the same as having an aneurism over making fun of the US. I have "pride" in what the US *used* to stand for, the *concept* of rights that the US says it supports yet doesn't. But I digress...

this

plus it doesn't help our media empowers the vocal minority crazy fucks that go gung ho over everything..

and then as usual, everyone judges america as a whole based on silly media.

 

[Something Amyss]

I think the better question is why aren't other countries as patriotic as Americans?

Yeah, man, why don't you other guys get distracted from real issues by sudden motion of a colourful piece of cloth?

 

[minimacker]

I don't know. They have an... interesting history that isn't that far in the past.

They invaded the natives, imported an entire population of African slaves, broke off to become independent from the British empire, gave everyone guns and then planted their flag on every acre of land there was.


I'll probably get a warning for that, but let me continue.

I guess what you can really admire are those who tried to rectify the wrong. Lincoln wanting to rid slavery in the west and south. Martin Luther King Jr, Religious freedom (Which still seems to be brought up many times, because only a few seems to be socially acceptable.)

 

[Mr Fixit]

I'm Amercan(I feel dirty just saying that) & I say the U.S. sucks all kinds of ass, just my opinion. I would like to try living in some other county just to see the difference. The U.S. isn't perfect, but then what nation is?

 

[surg3n]

Patriotism simply means that you love your country, don't get it confused with Nationalism, which basically means that you hate everyone elses.
I think that some arrogance gets mixed in there as well - because Americans will deny stupidity when it's staring them in the face, like gun laws... red neck Americans who don't see a problem with having firearms near their countless toddlers, ''Derpya I introduce ma kid to guns real young so he knows how to deal with them'' That sort of daftness is what induces the stereotype.

I've never met an American like that though - I guess it's like the people that news shows prefer to interview, unemployed idiots with no perspective - yet everytime, there they are. One program interviewed this old Scottish woman about the sex offenders register, she said we should send them all to Australia... Hmmm, better standard of living, better climate, better government, better beaches... really sticking it to paedophiles with that one. If anyone judged Scotland based on that stupid old cow, then I'd be very disapointed, so I try not to judge other countries until I've met people from there or been there for myself.

Currently my least favorite nation is China, unless they are Chinese American, in which case they tend to be awesome people... Chinese people have a weird attitude that I just can't get along with, it's like they expect to follow the same customs in other countries as they do at home, and expect other nations to pander to that. Sorry - you can't ride a scooter with 2 weeks shopping and your 8-year-old on the back. I'd rather have Americans with their positive outlook and professionalism. I've been colaborating a lot with people from Dallas (T.I.) on a project, and they've all been great IMO - the subject of how awesome America is has never come up.

 

[Jakub324]

What's wrong with having pride in your country? If you love where you live you should defend it, I'm not saying beat the tar out of anyone who dislikes America or anything but when did liking where you live become a bad thing?

It's not just that this minority love their country, is it? They think everyone else is shit, and by god do they like to harp on about it. It doesn't get to me, but I can sympathise with those who are annoyed by it.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

snip.

Yes there is the Pledge of Allegiance started in the 1800 and has been going on for a while
now its just hand over the heart it used to use the Bellamy salute and was stopped for very obvious reasons. Its not like its a long speech its really just one sentience
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all
the under god part was added during the cold war

It started with a British tradition for governmental sessions and worked its way into the school system somehow

That's terrifying.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of Amerca?

Why do you have to pledge allegiance? Making an oath of loyalty to a country? A duty of fidelity? My lord that's weird.

And to the republic for which it stands?

But what if the republic is wrong?

One nation UNDER GOD?

What if you're not religious? Are students forced to say this even if they aren't? we weren't even forced to sing God Save the Queen, or recite the Lord's Prayer if we didn't believe in it, do they really make children say this? In class? In school? Peer pressure them into becoming religious and patriotic? I thought the Sixth Amendment was about the separation of church and state, and the first was about the freedom of religion. What if you don't believe in a Christian God, let alone any deity?

Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all?

Well now that's just contradictory and silly. Of course the Republic of the United States of America UNDER GOD isn't indivisible, otherwise you wouldn't have two political parties damn near ready to go to war every election. And liberty and justice for all is just a dream.

No wonder the country's got problems.