2dimes wrote: I'm going to have to opt out of complaining about how people born here are encouraged to love any other country more than this one. I could die in my ninties and still be sitting here typing up until then, if I get into that.
Except, its just not true... unless you are among those who think that the US is a sacred entity that cannot be criticized in any way, lest you be guilty of treason.
There is a BIG difference between saying other people have rights, etc, etc, and saying that you are "against" the US. Nationalism, in its extreme leads to wars and deprivation. Some nationalism leads to pride, but too much is as negative as any other idea of being better than other people.
Too much individual pride leads to bullying.
Too much pride in culture or race leads to racism and xenophobia.
Too much nationalism leads to xenophobia and attacks on other countries.
ETC.
Of course, there will always be some who take the other extreme, who take any little criticism as reason why the US should be taken away, but they are the abberations. It is when they are suppressed and NOT allowed to speak, and thus not allowed to be countred, that they gain their power.
AND.. if there is a problem today, it is that. Today people can too often speak, but ONLY to those who agree. The town halls, streets.. even schools all essentially "forced" people to confront those who disagreed with them. The internet isolated and gives people the illusion that they are facing true opposition, when they are really talking to people who just slightly differ from their own views.
And.. for the old example.. look at how many folks consider me a "raving liberal". Yet.. most who put out that label have never even heard of most true liberals. And... they utterly distort what early conservatives actually said (folks like Ronald Reagan).
