Is it normal americans so arrogantly patriotic?

I'm American myself but I've never liked this country much. I've noticed as I've gotten older that the citizens of this country are so overwhelmingly proud of where they live and I honestly don't understand why?

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Based on 50 votes (36 yes)
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Comments ( 30 )
  • Because the terrorists won. They managed to put such fear into Americans after 9/11 that there was a giant surge of over-patriotic agro-tards.

    It doesn't show strength, it shows them they got to you.

    The other reasons being that most Americans seem to know little of the outside world. Because America is so large and diverse they forget that there is more. I mean many have never seen the ocean, to me that's just weird.

    But worst is the media in the USA, it is fucked. It conditions its people into morons, and manipulates them radically.

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  • thegypsysailor

    Having watched this country decline from a great nation into into the violent, intolerant mess that it is today, I have lost my patriotism completely.
    At one time the United States was a democracy, where the needs of it's people were of some concern and the powers that be were not spying on it's citizens and incarcerating anyone they choose under the Patriot Act, with no regard to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, let alone justice and what is just "right".
    When I was younger and traveling the world, the only things which distinctly separated this country from all others was our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. With the passage of the Patriot Act, those ideals were left in the dust of fear and the terrorists won; they had destroyed our "way of life".
    Now companies are considered "citizens" with the right to influence politics and laws so that their bottom line can grow much faster at the expense of the individual citizens' rights and needs.
    Those of you who think that this is still "a free society" are not facing reality. There was actually a time when, after graduating from college, there was work a-plenty and no one had debts in the 6 figures, unlike today, where no one can expect a good job right after college, no matter how good an education you have.
    The powers that be are destroying the middle class (intentionally) and the gap between the rich and the poor is widening daily.
    The bankers who caused a world wide recession got bonuses, not punished and each and every one of us is suffering for their greed and profits.
    We now run around the world forcing our values on countries that have no interest or need for a "democratic society". We go to war, killing thousands of our own young men and women on unsubstantiated lies (Iraq & WMD's) and yet the liars are lauded as heroes, rather than punished as war criminals.
    We have more people incarcerated than any other country on earth (and a greater percentage), yet this is one of the most dangerous places in the civilized world to live. Drive by shootings, mass killings, and domestic violence are in the news EVERY damn day.
    Is this really a country to be proud of? I am sad to say that it is not, for me at least.

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    • The old man knows.

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  • KatieLiz

    Patriotism is thing you find everywhere. I personally don't get it but whatever, people are bound to feel defensive of the country they see as their own.
    The thing that gets me about American patriotism is the 'freedom' thing. Americans genuinely seem to believe that they're the most free nation on Earth. Really it's one of the least free democracies in the westernised world. Gay people can't even get married there. I mean seriously, come the fuck on.

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  • SuperBenzid

    Patriotism is a way of making people forget their humanity and identify themselves with their government and the imaginary borders that define their country. This makes them easier to control, so it is encouraged. Imagine if everyone in trailer parks realized their country had abandoned them in the dust to rot and die.

    However they wave their flags instead of demanding change. So that the cycle continues. America has one of the lowest socio-economic mobilities in the world but it's people call it the land of opportunity, patriotic lies are important for maintaining control.

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  • AbnormallyAwesome

    I think there are differnt kinds of patriotism.

    I love my home and I feel very connected to it. My patriotism has the effect that I always vote and I really care about what happens in my country. I want to protect the good things and change our faults.

    Then there's another kind of patriotism that I believe you refer to:
    People who think their country is better then any other, and therefor they themselves are better then other people. They neglect any of their country's past and present mistakes. And they see every foreigner as a threat.

    Those kinds of patriots can be found everywhere. It's just that in the US people don't seem to notice that others don't see them like that. Also Hollywood can be very pushy with their flags, speaches, heroic soldiers and anthems...
    I'm sure you know what I mean.

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  • amaterasu

    I think that the main issue is not their patriotism. American people are proud about everything about themselves: their religion, their beliefs, their cities, schools etc. So of course they are going to be proud about their country.

    That being said, I don't think that America is the most patriotic country in the world.

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  • dinz

    Well OP the great thing about your great nation, is the freedom to leave as you please.

    This phenomena among the older population (well observing this on my own country but I think this was a key role for the West in general) was the post war era when the Allies won the war, the United States established as a world power, living standards rapidly raising and how the United States was seen as the protector of the free world against the communist threat in the East.

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    • SuperBenzid

      So he has the freedom to leave, same as in Iran. Not aiming high here are you?

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    • Lizvilla

      Read up on what the US did in the Middle East and Latin America after ww2 and you'll see what a terrible job we did protecting freedom. That is not our job. At all.

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  • Shrunk

    Have you ever been to any other countries? Actually, they might be "better" but this is your home. at least that's how I feel, and i'm not arrogantly patriotic, no more than any other country's citizens. everyone should love their home, question is why are people so offended when americans do. yeah it has problems but who doesnt, and it's very complicated, not everyone agrees with the government some people just like their environment

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    • SuperBenzid

      So should Germans during the 1930s have loved Nazi Germany?

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      • Shrunk

        youre saying that america is nazi germany?

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        • SuperBenzid

          No.

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          • Shrunk

            If they considered it their home, then sure, why not? Not all germans were nazis just because their government was.

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  • NeuroNeptunian

    Agreed with dinz, it is awesome that you have the freedom here to leave.

    Patriotism isn't a horrible thing, it is something that makes our country stronger and keeps loyalties within the country. A country full of people who hate their country doesn't last very long, nor does it fare very well in war.

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    • SuperBenzid

      Lacking patriotism isn't hatred for one's country, it is being realistic about one's country instead of being irrational.

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      • NeuroNeptunian

        Didn't say that lacking patriotism was hatred but I see why it would look like that. Granted, I am very patriotic despite my knowledge of the problems with our country. I don't think patriotism is inherently irrational. One can love something whilst being aware of it's flaws.

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    • Lizvilla

      Don't confuse loyalty to a govt with loyalty to the country. If you're willing to trade in your freedom for security, you don't get the point of being American.

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    • kelili

      It's nice to see you around:)

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  • Phishy

    I'll be honest, I DO think the U.S is alright, it's not the greatest nation, but what is the greatest nation? Are children dying in the U.S. every day due to starvation? Well, of course not. And as poor as some communities are, MOST of our citizens live VERY GOOD lives compared to most people on this sad little planet. I'm not some patriotic retard, I'm just a young man who sees shit as it is. I know a man who is middle class from Haiti and is the happiest man I EVER met, who thinks this country is AMAZING because his life is so much better here, in fact, the only job he ever knew before moving to the U.S. was plucking chickens for a few cents an hour, and he had no health benefits or anything of that nature. As I've said, I don't think this country isn't the greatest, but we have it pretty fucking good compared to most of this world.

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  • Terence_the_viking

    For every cookie there is a jar.

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  • DeadPixel

    I think the idea of Americans being patriotic is a total stereotype. Or, maybe it's limited to certain parts of the US. Here in WA, a lot of people seem like they couldn't care less about patriotism if not are completely ashamed of the direction the country is heading in. Don't get me wrong, Washingtonians are very politically motivated people, but they can actually admit there are messed up things going on and because of it the US is NOT the greatest country in the world. We try to change the bad stuff, rather than the accept it as it is and spread the propaganda we're fed about how awesome America apparently is and all that garbage. Personally if stuff got too bad here (think North Korean style gov't or war in the country), I wouldn't feel bad at all fleeing to Canada. Also I don't understand the fascination many people have with 9/11 (considering MOST people had no actual personal ties with the victims at all), and I wish it'd stop being talked about. Yeah it sucked but those people weren't any better than any of the many other people who have been murdered in different incidents, people just need to get over it already.

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  • RomeoDeMontague

    Well lets see here. The US loves itself and the rest of the world thinks the US is a bunch of fucking idiots. Even when one of them is educated they still catch shit for being AMERICAN. So who the fuck else do you think is going to love you? When even your ALLIES mock you and you sell to the people you are at war with. Along with that should you not love your country? You can not change where you are from. Pretending you are from another country and going overseas you still stick out. So being american pretending to be from fucking japan aint going to cut it. THEY KNOW YOUR AMERICAN! WITH YOUR BLONDE HAIR, AMERICAN ACCENT AND BROWN EYES. Also its fucking rude when you are from a country and say "I hope this country gets blown up I want to live in japan, Europe, America, Whatever". Well guess what? If they have to take sides YOU'LL BE A FUCKING PRISONER OF WAR YOU TERRORIST PIECE OF SHIT.

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  • Lizvilla

    A real patriot should be willing to burn a flag and fight the power -- whatever it takes -- when it comes to personal sovereignty. The govt should not be sovereign. We are.

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  • KatieLiz

    'America is the most generous and charitable nation.' Haha, greetings from the UK.

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    • NotStrangeBird

      You mean the UK that does whatever America tells them to? That UK?

      I think I hear a prince crying....

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  • NotStrangeBird

    America is also the most generous and charitable nation in the world and some of those nascar states everyone makes fun of are top givers, despite many being very low income/poverty plagued states.

    The loudmouths and extremists get the press.

    Smart people (which I hope to be many more than some folks give credit for in the world) can see through the bullshit and form their own opinions.

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  • Darthtatersalad

    It is plenty normal for people to be patriotic whether it is arrogant or not is up to the people who listen to that person.

    This can also be found in other countries.

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  • pantyrose

    The same reason why most other people are arrogant a patriotic.

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