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Feelings vs Rights, Amerika in 20 years?

PALO

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2012
Messages
729
Location
Kent
fwiw, throughout the (short, comparatively speaking) history of this great nation, there have always been those who think we are just scant years away from imploding, from fascists taking over, from losing our way, etc etc.

And it never DOES happen. We both can acknowledge there is a lot of messed up stuff going on, especially with the bushco and now obamaco unitary executive rubbish, as well as the ever expanding commerce clause that lets the feds get their grimy hands into stuff they shouldn't be involved with.

I just think overall, we are doing AWESOME and I am proud to be an american, and I consider myself lucky to have been born here. I have done a lot of traveling, and a lot of other countries appeal to me... some even have pretty cool systems of govt. But, for example, when I look at the kind of crap the European Union pulls, as well as their grand stances on a host of issues (and god knows they are very anti-RKBA), I just thank god again, I live here.

I mean, I love france, I speak fluent french, and they have a great culture(s), bitchen waves!, great food , etc. But... the socialism, their justice system etc. ? blech
 

Freedom1Man

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
4,462
Location
Greater Eastside Washington
SNIP
I just think overall, we are doing AWESOME and I am proud to be an american, and I consider myself lucky to have been born here. I have done a lot of traveling, and a lot of other countries appeal to me... some even have pretty cool systems of govt. But, for example, when I look at the kind of crap the European Union pulls, as well as their grand stances on a host of issues (and god knows they are very anti-RKBA), I just thank god again, I live here.

I mean, I love france, I speak fluent french, and they have a great culture(s), bitchen waves!, great food , etc. But... the socialism, their justice system etc. ? blech

So, you're proud to live in a nation where the elected representatives believe it's okay to commit murder in your name?
Proud to live in nation where the elected officials believe it's okay to violate your rights?
Proud to live where you have to be sexually molested to fly?
Proud to live around people who are so ignorant that they don't know what form of government that our founding fathers created?
Proud to live where it's okay for government thugs to violate your rights and then if they get caught pay you off with the money of others?
Proud to live where most everyone wants to enslave their neighbor through socialism and other government 'good works'?

Explain to me again what you're proud of.

If that is something to be proud of, no wonder you're a police officer (cop).
 
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PALO

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2012
Messages
729
Location
Kent
So, you're proud to live in a nation where the elected representatives believe it's okay to commit murder in your name?
Proud to live in nation where the elected officials believe it's okay to violate your rights?
Proud to live where you have to be sexually molested to fly?
Proud to live around people who are so ignorant that they don't know what form of government that our founding fathers created?
Proud to live where it's okay for government thugs to violate your rights and then if they get caught pay you off with the money of others?
Proud to live where most everyone wants to enslave their neighbor through socialism and other government 'good works'?

Explain to me again what you're proud of.

If that is something to be proud of, no wonder you're a police officer (cop).

Just like the vast majority of americans (per polling data), imo the good stuff VASTLY outweighs the bad stuff. I can think of a lot more stuff than the stuff you mentioned that is bad (setting aside the problematic nature of your claims, e.g. the first one. That's true of SOME elected officials. It certainly aint true of Ron Paul).

Much of what you say is rubbish imo. It is not "okay" for "government thugs": to violate my or other's rights. And imo, with some exception (and I am sure we are going to disagree on this), the system does a PRETTY GOOD JOB in holding them accountable for misconduct.

I've flown numerous times ex-post 911 and in none of those instances did TSA sexually molest me fwiw.

Again, there's tons of stuff WRONG with America but imo there's WAY MORE stuff we are doing right, and your last line is rubbish. MOST americans are proud of being americans. It has nothing to do with being a cop

However, AS a cop, I get to see a lot of stuff others will never see. I see people at their best (heroic, selfless, etc.) AND at their worst, but I know the former greatly outweighs the latter. So, in THAT respect, I guess being a cop is relevant... I see people in much more varied circumstances than noncops do, I see the justice system in much more detail, also

Just remember, you are in a TINY niche of the population in regards to your views about America.

I stand with the american people, and again - based on what I have seen in 20 yrs of police work, the average american joe is doing a damn fine job, too. It's an incredibly rewarding job and it gives you a lot of insight into people, since you deal with them, so often, at emotional etc. extremes, under extreme duress, sorrow, etc. I see great things in the american people.

But I'll say one thing. Of the things you mention that ARE true, no I am not proud of them. That's a strawman. I said there's a lot of crap I am not proud of, murderdroning and unitary executive power being two I ALREADY MENTIONED

The bad stuff doesn't define us, imo.

And I stand with the vast majority of americans in being proud of my country WHILE doing what I can (primarily at the local level) to effect positive change.

Only 3% of americans are only a little proud of america and only ONE PERCENT are "not proud at all"

I am sure the cynics etc. will attribute that to "dumb merkuns" not understanding why we are so awful , but of course YOU are privy to stuff and are better edumacated on america, therefore the not proud of america tiny niche group will justify their position often by calling the public ignorat/misinformed, etc. I recognize the american public is not politically wonky, but I also know there are tons of people who are, myself included :) , who are fiercely proud of this great nation.

Fwiw, would there be any nation you would prefer to live in/that would fill you with pride?

cheers

Poll follows

Most Americans are proud to be so, according to a new poll.

Conducted by Gallup, the survey found that 57 percent of respondents consider themselves "extremely proud" to be United States citizens, while another 28 percent say they are "very proud."

By contrast, only 3 percent of respondents indicated they are "only a little proud" to be American, and a mere 1 percent say they are "not at all proud."

The figures indicate that – despite the constant squabbling on Capitol Hill and Congress's historically low approval ratings – an overwhelming percentage of Americans haven't let Washington's struggles disturb their pride in being a part of the world's longest-running democracy.

Indeed, the 85 percent figure – a combination of the "extremely proud" and "very proud" groups – has been fairly consistent for more than a decade. The number reached a peak of 92 percent in 2002, and dropped to a nadir of 81 percent in 2007, but has remained largely steady since Gallup first posed the question in 2001.

That same optimism hasn't followed another question Gallup has posed over the years related to the state of national affairs. When asked how the signers of the Declaration of Independence would feel about "the way the United States has turned out," 71 percent said the Founding Fathers would be "disappointed," while only 27 percent thought they'd be "pleased."

Those numbers mark a dramatic change from 12 years ago, when 54 percent said the signers would be pleased and 42 percent guessed they'd be disappointed.



Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brief...l-most-are-proud-to-be-american#ixzz2d5phvAvz
Follow us: @thehill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook
 
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sudden valley gunner

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2008
Messages
16,674
Location
Whatcom County
fwiw, throughout the (short, comparatively speaking) history of this great nation, there have always been those who think we are just scant years away from imploding, from fascists taking over, from losing our way, etc etc.

And it never DOES happen. We both can acknowledge there is a lot of messed up stuff going on, especially with the bushco and now obamaco unitary executive rubbish, as well as the ever expanding commerce clause that lets the feds get their grimy hands into stuff they shouldn't be involved with.

I just think overall, we are doing AWESOME and I am proud to be an american, and I consider myself lucky to have been born here. I have done a lot of traveling, and a lot of other countries appeal to me... some even have pretty cool systems of govt. But, for example, when I look at the kind of crap the European Union pulls, as well as their grand stances on a host of issues (and god knows they are very anti-RKBA), I just thank god again, I live here.

I mean, I love france, I speak fluent french, and they have a great culture(s), bitchen waves!, great food , etc. But... the socialism, their justice system etc. ? blech

Ahhh I see you are making the common mistake of conflating being proud of being American and of our country with being proud of our government.

Were have you been fascists and tyrants have taken great leaps of taking over, Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, have done a lot to ruin a republic and centralize power. Mussolini called FDR a dictator.

Here's an applicable quote. “[T]he people about us are unaware of what is really happening to them. They gaze fascinated at one or two familiar superficialities, such as possessions and income and rank and other outworn conceptions. As long as these are kept intact, they are quite satisfied. But in the meantime they have entered a new relation; a powerful social force has caught them up. They themselves are changed. What are ownership and income to that? Why need we trouble to socialize banks and factories? We socialize human beings.”

So while you continue to be satisfied with the chains that bind you because they give you a little more length then the chains that bind Europeans, others will work to break off those chains.
 
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