Our Little Patriot, or How Liberals Don't Really Hate America

From ages two until five, I lived on an air force base in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan called K.I. Sawyer. I still sleep in a ratty old t-shirt of my father's from there. My very first memories come from there. Though I don't remember it firsthand, my mother likes to tell the story about how, every day when they would broadcast the national anthem (1984 much?), I would force all of my toddler friends to line up and put their hands over their heart. I know it may come as a shock to some of you, but I was a bossy little kid. There was no getting out of this. My parents called me their "little patriot". Imagine how appalled they are 20 odd years later that I've become an America-hating liberal, right?

Well, first of all, no. My parents taught me to think for myself, and I don't think there's any greater testament to their success in that regard than to have raised two kids that are beyond even the average liberal.
And secondly, I don't hate America.

I know, right? Conservatives hate import cars and organic food and liberals hate freedom and America. Isn't that how it goes?

I've been tired of this bullshit since 9/11. In a country where free speech is the foundation, disagreeing with your government is, again, a testament to their success. The fact that I can rage on my blog about how much I hate certain politicians and policies is what makes this country great. You know what else makes it great? (I compiled much of this list while studying abroad in Barcelona for 9 months)

• 24 hour stores
• Peanut butter
• Cheap(er) housing
• Cheap(er) gas and utilities
• Availability of 47 choices of shampoo

Etc. There were plenty of things that I missed about the U.S. when I didn't live here. Of course, there are many things that I miss about Europe now that I don't live there. It seems that no one can really be perfect (Surprise!).
Which brings me to Skepchick's post about patriotism. In it, she says:

"I think patriotism is too close to nationalism to be safe; both are just souped up versions of tribalism. These things lead to “us versus them” thinking and to conflict being preferred over cooperation. It’s OK to love your country. But to be proud just because you were born somewhere is ridiculous. To ignore the flaws of your country and to refuse to criticize your government is dumb. And to think your country is the only great (free, safe, healthy, etc.) nation in the world is just delusional."

We are all lucky to have been born into a country where abject poverty isn't the norm. One in which most of us have had the opportunity to get a good education, even beyond high school. Many of us have even lived in the upper 10% of the income bracket for much of our lives (which is, by the way, much lower than you think it is). Being born into middle or upper-middle class America doesn't make you the best, it makes you damn lucky. And yes, be proud that your parents worked hard, and their parents before them, to bring this into being. But don't think for a minute that this makes us entitled or better than anyone else. Skepchick:

"You know what? It’s OK not to be #1 in everything or anything. We don’t need to be a super power. We don’t need to constantly prove that we are better than everyone else. That’s just a sign of insecurity. That just leads to being a bully. Why can’t the US be happy — like everyone else is — just to be good? Why do we always have to convince ourselves that we are great, the greatest? Our collective arrogance is one of the things I hate about the US."

You don't have to be #1, either, you know. Let's just be happy being good at what we do - professions, personal relationships, cooking, making people laugh, whatever. I know we are all talented, wonderful people in some regard.
You, too, America. We think you're great, just a little full of yourself sometimes. And no one likes a braggart.

(Thanks to Eric for sharing Skepchick on Reader and sparking this whole thing.)