Quote:
Originally Posted by saturnine
Of course not. That was not my assertion nor do I believe that was the conclusion in the 2nd article.
But you must realize how hypocritical we (our gov't. & even more so our citizenry) are for proclaiming us to be 'The greatest country in the world.' The United States is not & will never again be even a great country unless we humble ourselves & work to resolve the immense problems we face as a nation. The 'patriotism' on display in this country too often ignores the delinquencies we show in following what this country was founded on. (Not to mention the 'patriotism' espoused by our gov't. after September 11th, which was nothing short of Totalitarianism.)
Regardless, there is no such thing as 'The greatest country in the world.' Many nations on this planet are great for various reasons but not one is without faults. This proclamation is nothing short of arrogant & ignorant nation worship which has no place in the global 21st century.
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I don't disagree with the points the article (and you) are trying to make, either. Basically, Dkrift summed my attitude up. I've spent about 13 years of my life overseas, you learn to be proud of your nation while not pissing off the citizens of your host nation at the same time.
Having said that, for all of our faults, there is still more right with America than wrong with America (to paraphrase a former president). And for all of our faults, we are not the only nation who suffers from shortcomings. Certainly, we are not the only nation who suffers from Nationalism; I'd argue the Nationalism exhibited here is not as bad as that exhibited in some other western nations. And there is nothing wrong with any nation and its citizens believing they are the Greatest Nation in the World. It's how you carry yourself in that belief that distinguishes whether or not other nations will agree with you.