A 21 year old's struggle with patriotism.

[PorscheGuy79]

As you might have guessed my name is Matthew, im a 21 year old college student and I struggle to feel any kind of admiration or pride towards my country. My life is a gifted one, I was born to a well off middle-upper class white family in California and through my life I have slowly and surely moved east, currently finding myself residing in Chicago. I enjoy my college, I appreciate the posh lifestyle I live, and realize how lucky I am to be 21 and have a vintage 911 track car. Now for the issue at hand, how can someone my age, despite having been born a US citizen, find so much shame in being an American? I am a registered Democrat but frankly cannot stand any part of the Government, I feel that George Dubbaya is the poster child for the worlds view on America: Rich, dumb and trigger happy. I don't agree with the way we handle foreign policy, how we approach the budget and its relationship to society, and most of all I cant stand the Ego. For the life of me I can't figure out why the majority of Americans think America is so great without stepping out of it. I was lucky enough, last summer, to spend 3 weeks in a small town in the south of France as well as a brief stint in Paris and parts of Germany, it was a life changing experience. The culture, the history, the way they do business, the transit system, the food, etc. etc. the list goes on and on. I came back to a country that I had previously accepted as my own because I knew nothing more but I returned to a sour tasting existence. To be quite honest, I love Europe. I love everything about it. I guess this is the part where you tell me to shut up and just move, but as one would imagine being 21 its somewhat hard to justify dropping everything and moving to a strange country and expect to make it. That said, I do hope that someday in my young life I get the opportunity to reside in a country other than the US. The reason I struggle with these feelings is because they feel so alien for a 21 year old to have. I should be worrying about when the next Coldplay record is coming out, or figuring out the proper technique for doing a keg stand. But alas I am a bit of an old ball for my age group, taking a nice 2001 Stag's Leap over a 12 back of Miller, having a quiet dinner with stimulating conversation over a frat party. Does my anti-patriotism seem that out of line or are there other's out there that share my point of view?

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

If anything, you are more patriotic because you dont buy the bull****.

Yee Haw is not a foreign policy.

Don't feel out of place. it's good that you have an interest in these things at an early age. I wish more people like us (in our 20's) did.

Coldplay sucks ass btw. Total rip off of Radiohead.

[Seahawk]

For a life changing experience, go to a third world country.

I like your pluck, though.

[Mulhollanddose]

Originally posted by PorscheGuy79
I feel that George Dubbaya is the poster child for the worlds view on America: Rich, dumb and trigger happy. I don't agree with the way we handle foreign policy, how we approach the budget and its relationship to society, and most of all I cant stand the Ego.

You have been brainwashed my friend. It is no wonder, as the leftist Democrats virtually monopolistically control the education system as well as the media...Who cares what the world thinks? They are either controlled by tin-pot dictators, are simply ill-informed or are reliant on a press that selectively edits all news to further their socialist aims...The world media outlets have it easy, as the major American media agrees with them. The world media only have to tune into CNN/NBC/cBS/ABC/NewYorkTimes, etal, and get the exact impression they would like to expose their people to.

Dumb and trigger happy?...Ridiculous.

You don't agree how we handle foreign policy?...Is there a perfect way to handle it?...We are by far the greatest practitioners of the philosophy of foreign policy, imperfect to be sure.

[Jeff Higgins]

You sound like a very thoughtful young man. Don't be fooled by a few weeks, or even months, stay in what appears to be an idylic foreign land, however. They all have problems similar to ours. It takes nothing less than full imersion to become as aware of theirs as you have become of ours. You would have to live and workin, possibly even acquire citizenship in, any other country to see how they truly compare.

It is amazing to me that some one of your age, hell any age for that matter, could have any chance of feeling patriotic towards their homeland. The U.S. or any other. It seems the critics and mal-contents have acquired the loudest voice just about everywhere. Not that there is not plenty to complain about, here or anywhere else; it's just that you have been far more exposed to our internal problems than you have to others'.

Our situation here on which you are focused is temporary. Dubya will be out of office soon, the war will eventually come to an end, and a lot of folks will think things will be "better". Maybe, maybe not. These things will eb and flow for your entire life. At times it will appear better or worse to you according to your values and political leanings. The same would be true anywhere else. The U.S., however, is recognized (envied?) around the world as having the most stable system, with our swings left and right of center being far less dramatic than even most European countries.

It would be a great experience for you to go and live elswhere. I have many friends and acquaintances that have. They have all wound up back here in the end, for various reasons, but they all very much value their experiences. To a person they will tell you those experiences clarified just how good we have it here.

[imcarthur]

Matthew

Blind patriotism is exactly that.

Glad you saw some other realities.

Ian

[dean]

I do like alot of your views. I don't have any advice for you except maybe get as much shaved poon as you can now. Cause that never lasts.

[widgeon13]

If you believe you are patriotic and love your country you might think of sticking around and working to change the things that you disaprove of rather than cut and run to escape the turmoil. At least you have a good foundation to start from.

Our system is not perfect as you have observed but it is better than most other's that I am aware of.

[Moneyguy1]

Get involved. Work to change what can be changed. Don't buy into simplistic solutions to complex problems and realize that change is incremental.

Above all, take anything that mul says with a large amount of salt.

[Aurel]

I have one advice for you: don`t listen to Mul, he is a totally brainwashed neocon, part of that group of six who are still supprting the war in Iraq. Anything you hear from him, consider as a joke, and you will do just fine in life.

Aurel

[Erakad]

Personally, I feel that when the system becomes unbearable it's your responsibility to change it. Lots of prior discussion here on drawbacks to both political parties, good luck on where you choose to put your efforts. Whichever you choose, be honest, maintain integrity, and if an elected position, truely represent those that placed you in office. Always ask yourself...is this the right thing to do; gut check, you'll know.

I lived 5 years in Germany, loved and would love to live there again. Unlike the Germans though, I benefited from the SOFA and the tax free advantages. However, as I lived in a small German village and knew the locals well, not a single neighbor, acquaintance, or business person didn't complain about taxes, the government, etc. and OBTW, they got taxed on everything. Learn to drive $2K easy...it goes on and on. Yes, there are trade-offs, but I really like the less socialistic US system. I know, I know, you either pay up front for the services or on demand...I just prefer the latter.

[nostatic]

Volunteer and go overseas for a year or two. Europe is not "perspective" imho. If I were in your shoes, I would go to China in a heartbeat. Go the easy route as an english teacher or the hard route and join the Peace Corps or something like it. You will likely come back, but you won't be the same. And this country will not seem the same or even be the same...to you.

[914GT]

Originally posted by PorscheGuy79
find so much shame in being an American? I am a registered Democrat

There's your problem.

[Mulhollanddose]

Originally posted by Aurel
I have one advice for you: don`t listen to Mul, he is a totally brainwashed neocon, part of that group of six who are still supprting the war in Iraq.

- Bush turned around a failing economy, inherited in 2000.
- Bush took the fight to the enemy, centralized terrorism in Iraq, and has diligently trudged the road of dealing with a long festering problem...We have dismantled the terrorist infrastructure, killed 10s of thousands of Islamofascists and liberated 50,000,000 people.

Immigration and spending are another issue, and you can thank Democrats for putting the pressure on Republicans to puss out on those issues.

The Democrat party have offered nothing in the last 6 years except a stab in the back and spitting on the military.

[Christien]

Some great points here. Pretty cool you're that aware at 21. And yeah, ignore the people at the fringe of either political spectrum. Anyone who is that firm in their dogma can't see clearly. Left or right.

One thing I've come to believe is that patriotism is frequently based more on familiarity than anything else. Everyone thinks their country is the best. And they're all equally right. Like Jeff said, you'd have to spend a long time in another country to really understand problems. The grass is always greener, right?

The US is not in a good way right now, but that's probably temporary. For all my complaining about the US, it's a pretty good country, when you don't have a terrorist in the oval office. Low unemployment, strong economy, plentiful resources, varied climates. It's not perfect, but I can't think of any country that is. Hmm, maybe Norway. Certainly not my own.

I think it's really valuable to be able to see the flaws of your own country, no matter what country you live in. Particularly when you're at war, and the prevailing attitude states that disagreement is equal to treason. So the question is, do you try to fix what you dislike or move somewhere you like better? Tough question, and you may always want to go home. Probably more for the familiarity than true patriotism, but still...

[Moneyguy1]

mull...You post like a brain damaged fool.

It is highly probable you do not believe half the illogical tripe you post, but just like to stir the fire.

If you do believe, perhaps it is time for another EEG. Maybe this time they can pinpoint the problem!!!!

Cheers!!

[Rick V]

Questing your partiotism is something you will have to answer for yourself. No one can tell you how to feel or how to make you feel the way you think you are suposed to. The simple fact that you can make the post you have and not worry about the police coming after you should shed some light.
I don't belive in alot of the policys of our government, or the direction we are heading in. We now live in a country where gimme-gimme is becoming the norm, that makes me sick. Nobody wants to work for the end game, the government should take care of that right?
That being said, The flag flys on my front porch 24/7/365, I am pruod to be an American. Get yourself a copy of Charlie Danials greatest hits and listen to the words. If this place is so screwed up you don't want to be here just go in the opisite direction of all the illeagles and you will see.
I have one question for you, If you went to a ballgame would you remove your cap during the playing of the national anthem?
I find it funny that most of the people who have your ideas were born of privelage, I on the other hand was born dirt poor. Politics were not high on the list of priorities, so my feelings of partiotism are learned by experiance not by news or opinions of others.

[Mulhollanddose]

Originally posted by Moneyguy1
Cheers!!

You should obviously cut back on the intake a bit.

[Mulhollanddose]

The kid has been brainwashed by the anti-American left (i.e., Democrat party) to hate his country...disgusting.

[Mulhollanddose]