US National Pride - is it lost?

It is the oddest thing, Husker, isn't it? Here we are involved in - according to the latest speechs - a worldwide conflict on a par with the war against the Nazis of twentieth century Europe, yet, except for those actually called to the Iraqi/Afghanistan battlefields, none of us have been asked to anything more than to go about our daily lives. That's probably a good thing given that the American of today has the ability to share and the attention span of your average four year old. We have leaders who recognize those aspects of our National Character and expect little from us except a surly acceptance of their hold over us every four years.

Which came first? Petulant citizens or mindbogglingly stupid leaders? I believe the new American selfishness arose from the newly refreshed conservative media telling everyone that all the problems were the fault of someone other than those who worshipped self-centeredness. "Why should my tax dollars fund (fill in the blank.) Can't private companies operate the Medic-aid/Medi-care system? Why can we do away with the whole New Deal safety net and just let people be self-reliant? The hell with government getting in the way of my ability to take advantage of the poor, the uneducated or the infirm! And so it goes. They get mighty angry about having to give, sacrifice, share, you name it.

It a little difficult to raise National Pride when the backbone of your philosophy is seeing yourself as a entity separate from everything.

Meanwhile, this is a great Nation. No other has rovers running around on distant planets. No other reaches the depth of research into sub-atomic particles, or viral diseases or theoretical mathematics. Our cities are bigger, a lot cleaner than they used to be, better connected within themselves and to the world than three-fourths of the rest of the world. We have a great highway system for moving goods and services and six out of ten times more likely to have a clean restroom somewhere on it. Our satellite communications system is second to none because it is, with the exception of three Euro vehicles, the only one and we have the biggest loudest fastest bing bang zingiest entertainment industry in the galaxy (especially if you include computer games.)

The question remains: do we have to ability to take care of ourselves in a crisis? The answers given last week were not very re-assuring. It's difficult to engender pride when Harry Connick Jr can get to the Convention Center on Wednesday but the National Guard can't make it till Friday. We can knock over Saddam in eight days, but we can't drop a pallet of water bottles and MREs until four days after a storm passes? If we wait until hundreds die because we cannot make a decision about rescue by air or rescue by boat, shouldn't we be wondering if anyone knows what we will do when the terrorists manage to blow up the dirty bomb in the downtown of a big city?

Just when did we change from a nation of One of Many to Every Man for Himself>

Joe(how are you?)Nation

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Totally agree, Joe.

National pride is alive and well, and there many of us who feel the call to sacrifice.

Here are just a couple of examples.

Americans are sacrificing for the basic rights enshrined in the Constitution. People are risking jail to fight the sneak and peak warrants of the Patriot act. People are also sacrificing monetarily as contributions to the ACLU, and other civil rights groups, are higher than ever.

Americans are sacrificing to end an unjust war. Cindy Sheehan is the tip of the iceberg. Americans are organizing, praying, writing and marching. They were doing this before public opinion started changing and they are doing this in spite of attacks on their character.

Americans are sacrificing to continue the advance the American ideals of Liberty and Justice for All. Like previous generations of proud Americans who ended slavery, won civil rights and gave women the right to vote, todays proud Americans are defending mosques, supporting the rights of homosexuals, pressuring the government to following international treaties, advocating for education reform, and giving support to migrant workers.

It is very difficult to be proud of the American government right now. I am ashamed of what my government is doing.

But America is not about blind alliegence to a government. It is "We The People"...

Throughout America's history, American's have pushed forward with great pride and great courage while the government often lagged behind or even opposed them.

But look closely. Many Americans are proudly continuing our great heritage of liberty and justice.

This is true National Pride.

Joe, ebrown-you guys make me proud.

Thanks, Joe nation and ebrown_p, well said--your thoughts have touched me

BBB
APPLAUSE! Well stated, guys.

The failure of government from the President down to some of the Mayors of the cities and towns in the hurricane destruction areas is unbelievable.

The United States has had it's great super power mask torn off and trampled in the muddy waters of New Orleans. We are now naked in our shame of being exposed as just another third world country when it comes to saving our own citizens.

We spend our treasure on military boondoggles, waste our young's lives in Iraq, deplete our treasure to line the pockets of the rich, leaving nothing to take care of the Motherland.

Homeland security?

It's an illusion.

BBB

Why should one consider themselves a member of a nation any more than they are a member of the world at large?

Shouldn't the highest allegiance be to humanity itself, above nations?

Cycloptichorn