I'm Torn

[red_jon]

I've never hated America - if I did I wouldn't keep going there or watch American TV and use American products.

But I DO hate the current administration. I hate it's policies, both foreign and domestic and I hate how it got to power (and, to an extent, how every administration gets to power).

But then, I don't often speak too highly about the British government.

Dislike of the government does not indicate dislike of the people as a whole or the culture. It's just a shame when people forget that.

[red_jon]

Originally posted by UberKruX
america rocks. enjoy it / suck it down. your choice.

There's patriotism, then there's arrogance.

[Aro]

I've never hated America. I'm a pacifist, and a internacionalist left-wing guy... I don't like the Bush administration, of course (Condoleezza is my worst nightmare... but she has nice legs). But I love all that jazz and Rock'n'Roll, I love The Cinema, I love their powerful literature... Good people and bad people, like in every other place. In addition, America has New York and Woody Allen... Oh, yes, I love Poly!

I can't hate America. However, I can hate some Americans...

[DAVOUT]

Originally posted by Aro

I can't hate America. However, I can hate some Americans...

A leftist who likes Woody Allen cannot be entirely bad

[SlowwHand]

Contrary to popular ACS opinion, it's ok to love America.
Does that mean you can't strive for improvement? No.

But strive, don't just sit back and whine and moan like...
some people.

[Arrian]

TASS, it appears you have pretty violent swings of opinion. One can, in fact, love & hate aspects of one's country at the same time. Especially a country as large, populous, powerful & diverse as ours. There are gonna be lots of things out there to love or hate. Personally, I try not to go too far in either direction, because that blurs my judgement. I get irritated by both the uberpats & the americaistherootofallevil crowd.

I think Rufus' reply was the best yet (from an American POV):

When my country lives up to that promise, I'm immensely proud. When it falls short of that promise, I'm sadened. When it deliberately gives up on that promise, I'm angry.

-Arrian

[GePap]

Yeah, I am with Rufus here as well.

I think is is important to remember what made American great, and it is a universal promise. that is why i find jingosim so insanely anti-American: jingoism is built on the notion of "us vs. them", it is meant to exclude and define, separate. Yet what makes America great is the fact that its ideals and promises are universal, and that any human being, from any corner of the world can come and enrich American and be fully integrated and adds to this place. This is the great strength of the US and its secret to sucess. When I see people define america purely by geography and "blood", which is vital for jingoism, I can;t help but tot hink thy have no cleu what makes American different and allows it to endure. I also hope that in general the US as a society never decides to finally adopt that parochial self-definition.