Around the 4th of July this year, I saw some polls on the news from 2001 compared to today. 25 years ago, 90 percent of Republicans and 85 percent of Democrats were proud to be American. I assume that poll was taken on the 4th of July in 2001. If it was immediately after 9/11, we would have seen an upsurge in patriotism and the numbers would have been even higher. The poll was taken less than a year after a highly contentious election and many Democrats were still angry about the outcome. Nevertheless, national pride was not significantly lower among political liberals.
Today, pride in being American is unchanged among Republicans but has dropped to 32 percent among Democrats. Is it just because of Trump? I don't think so. This has been a steady trend that has been going on for a quarter century. The Iraq War began in 2003, which I concede was a mistake. Some drop off among Democrats in the mid-00's would be understandable. I would have expected a resurgence in patriotism in 2008 with the election of Barack Obama. It didn't happen. I'm sure the number did drop considerably when Trump came on the scene a decade ago but Joe Biden didn't help either. I'm afraid that the belief that the USA is fundamentally unjust and needs to be radically transformed rather than reformed from within has become the mainstream viewpoint. This line of thought really took hold under Obama.
Does the USA have problems? Sure. We live in a fallen world. Every culture and civilization in history has had problems. I certainly don't deny that. My biggest concerns today are the chronic disease epidemic, the high cost of living and the job market for inexperienced workers. I certainly do NOT make light of the injustices of the past either. Slavery, Jim Crow and the Trail of Tears most definitely should not be swept under the rug. There was no golden age when everything was perfect. I am nostalgic for the 1980s and 90s but I recognize that all was not roses. We had gang violence, AIDS and the crack epidemic.
Growing up, I was raised to believe that the modern USA is the greatest country ever. I'm not sure if I still believe that. Well above average and one of the best? Definite yes! I challenge you to visit a 3rd world country and venture away from the tourist areas to see how the average person lives. Even low income Americans are wealthy by those standards.
I'll address and rebut some liberal talking points.
Stolen Land:
Again, policy towards Native Americans was shameful and I will not justify it. My problem is the notion that Native American culture was pure and peaceful. It was not. There was constant tribal warfare. Read up on the Aztecs, Iroquois and Algonquin. In addition to slavery, there was also child sacrifice. Some tribes were actually rooting for the colonizers because they figured that their lot would improve. How would the American continent look today if the Europeans never arrived? I'm betting, not so good.
Slavery:
Once again, I will not sugarcoat this. Words cannot express how I feel about this evil and barbaric practice. My problem is that children today are being taught that it was chiefly an American institution. That ain't true! The Arab slave trade was far more brutal and lasted longer too. White people didn't invent slavery but they were the first to abolish it. Slavery and slave like conditions still exist in Sub Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Civil Rights won't wipe out 2 centuries of real systemic oppression overnight but if we haven't achieved racial equality yet, we are as close as we've ever been. White racism is such a taboo nowadays that your reputation could be forever tarnished because of a decade old social media post.
I follow several vloggers who have visited upwards of 100 countries. They all say that the USA is one of the LEAST racist countries in the world. Try being a Mexican in Puerto Rico and vice versa. Try being Persian in Saudi Arabia. How about being Tutsi in Rwanda in the 1990s?
What I like and appreciate about the USA:
Despite the rising cost of living, I still believe that the American dream is attainable for most people. Life isn't fair and some people are born into better circumstances than others. That said, especially if you come from a good family, your chances of being successful are pretty good if you make smart life decisions. If you are healthy with normal intelligence and reasonably attractive, you've been dealt a pretty fair hand no matter what your skin color. You have the opportunity to achieve a standard of living far greater than the average person in the developing world. Consider the caste system in India. If you are born into the lowest caste, you have virtually no chance to get ahead and will endure slave like conditions for the rest of your life.
If you don't like your job or your current city, you are free to seek a fresh start and better opportunities elsewhere. By contrast, the Soviet Union did guarantee you a job but your occupation was decided by an aptitude test. If you don't like your assigned job or city, too bad. You will be imprisoned if you don't show up. You lived in a planned high rise with government officials watching your every move and you needed special permission to leave your area.
Our Founding Fathers created a democratic system of government. I am a fan of the two party system too. I worry that this could change in the future but if things are not going well, the incumbent party will likely be voted out. Given a lousy economy, civil unrest and an unpopular war, there is still very little chance that you will win your next election. Republicans deserved to lose in 2008. Democrats deserved to lose in 2024. In Nicaragua, the current president recently announced that no more elections will be held. No matter what happens with the economy or how much he suppresses your rights, he is safely in power.
As much as I dislike when the Left has said about Trump, I defend their right to say it. I will draw the line at death threats and rooting for violence. We Americans take for granted that we can say we don't like the President or his policies and we won't get a visit from a government official. China has a social credit system in which posts are social media deemed inappropriate will result in restrictions of your rights and privileges. North Korea is far worse. Simply being in possession of the wrong books can cost you your life.
If the church in which you are raised no longer fits with your values or theology, you might get some family pressure but you are free to join another one or leave Christianity altogether without any erosion of your rights. Much of the Muslim world has the death penalty for apostasy. Their treatment of women and gays is far worse than any so-called Christian nationalist has ever proposed.
I appreciate ethnic diversity and my life in the USA has been enriched by people from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures. I am in awe of the beautiful landscapes and world class cities. From the beaches to the mountains, canyons and valleys, it is a breathtakingly beautiful country.
In conclusion, sure there are plenty of things that the USA could do better but I believe the country is fundamentally good and capable of improvement. When you consider the severe poverty and cruel oppression in other countries, the USA doesn't look so bad. Yes, I am proud to be American and am thankful to be born and raised here.
