Why are Americans so Patriotic?

[ItachiZaku]

I love how people blame columbus for the biological murder of natives because of the disease he brought over.

Because yea he fucking intentionally did that.

I hate this world now.

Figurehead. I don't hate Spain or Portugal, but I an suspicious of all pale faces.

[JohnBrown1917]

So we can laugh at them.

[IntellectuallyChallenged]

That's more of a new thing though, right? Like kids being able to opt-out of having to say it and such?

It's not really a new thing. I was in elementary school in the early 80s and I never put my hand on my chest or recited the words. I never once got sent to the office for it or even had anything said to me. Because it wasn't really a big deal at all then. Fast forward to PC America, and now even your shoelaces are offensive. Let alone not reciting the pledge or worshiping a silly piece of cloth.

[Ghostpanther]

Because it is my country and the benefits of the freedoms I do have is because of the sacrifices of so many have made, so I could be blessed. It would be dishonorable and non thankful to others for me not to be patriotic.

[McFuu]

The fact you think this is something to be proud of is baffling to me, honestly.

It wasn't meant as a serious answer, simply a snarky answer to a morons ramblings.

It doesn't hurt to be good at it though, and there is nothing wrong with taking pride in your nations ability to smite the enemy. As I recall England is pretty good at kicking ass, and I've met many fine women and men in Afghanistan doing it, who were proud. Hell even the Canadians took pride in their fight as well.

[Vocah]

Again, the definition of ball says it can be an ovoid. So, you could say Handball... if you wanted to.

Well, Handball is already taken as a name.

[Draco-Onis]

We Americans are patriotic because we basically sacrifice nothing for it, I know I am in the minority but I am 100% for mandatory military service. We don't vote, don't protest in mass for changes, don't get involved in our political system, most of the burden of this patriotism is put on a few families who sacrifice and get screwed by the government in the end.

It's extremely easy for so many to be patriotic to say we are the best and love America when you got no skin in the game.

[caervek]

Or Handegg?

It's still a ball game played on foot (as opposed to ice or horseback) hence the name, having said that it was a bit stupid to pick a name already in popular use lol.

[Wikiy]

Your misunderstanding is labeling the average citizen under the category of what the politicians do. Sure, we elect them, but you also elect the shitty politicians in your country. We both deal with their crap and get rid of them, if we can, due to the political scheme, not because we value their values as our own. We both get lied to in elections.

We all have crappy politicians and they usually do crappy things. My only point was that even though American international politics quite often takes shape in good causes, it isn't because America is trying to be a paragon of good in the world. Because it's not trying to be that.

[Wyrt]

We Americans are patriotic because we basically sacrifice nothing for it, I know I am in the minority but I am 100% for mandatory military service. We don't vote, don't protest in mass for changes, don't get involved in our political system, most of the burden of this patriotism is put on a few families who sacrifice and get screwed by the government in the end.

It's extremely easy for so many to be patriotic to say we are the best and love America when you got no skin in the game.

I would be ok with mandatory service if the US was like Switzerland, Finland, or Austria.

Not ok with it for the US because we're constantly getting into stupid wars and doing stupid shit. And it is sad that military families have to sacrifice so much for no real reason and get treated like crap afterward.

[Moxal]

I'm confused. Is this thread born from genuine curiosity or a desire to mock Americans? Because from the replies to this point it certainly seems to be the latter.

[caervek]

Sorry but the inventors of the sport called it soccer.

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index....e-word-soccer/

No they didn't, read what you're linking.

It clearly states that Soccer was a nickname for Football:

"Association Football was then much better known as “Assoccer”, which quickly just became “Soccer” and sometimes “Soccer Football"

Again deal with it.

What that you accidentally defeated your own asinine argument? Yeah I can deal with that just fine ^^

[breadisfunny]

Or Handegg?

do you mean rugby?

[Vayshan]

Why are Americans so Patriotic?

Looking at Trump's popularity (which really says all you need to know, imo), I'd wager it's because most are so gullible, naive and unintelligent they'll cheer at everything that glorifies 'Murica. It's first class brainwashing and spoon fed half-truths from a young age.

[-Nurot]

I didn't want to use that word, but that is how it seems to me. I may be wrong, but taking children who know no different and then getting them used to what appears to be "worshipping" a flag, its ideals and what it represents seems like brainwashing. It certainly does not happen in the UK, I have never seen examples in other countries (except highly religious countries but religion is another topic altogether). Maybe I'm wrong and other countries do this too?

It depends on where you live, and how you were raised and the school system you are in. There has been cases where children were punished for not standing for the pledge in class.

Some school systems even say it daily even at the high school level.

Considering our pledge of allegiance was created in the 1980s because it was felt by some that patriotism was low. It even included a salute to the flag instead of the hand over the heart, but that changed after world war 2 because they didn't wan't it to be confused with the Nazi salute.

Even a flag made in China is considered sacred to some. The irony is, even some, that don't trust the government, would rather see it burn, and foam at the mouth when their political party isn't in power and hate everything one might ascribe as American still wave it around and consider themselves patriotic.

There's definitely a portion of people who, it has less to do with pride in one's country and more of - I am better than you, and what I believe in is more important that what you believe in and is the right way and that's what this flag means.

Also in some circles, even Chinese made flags are not allowed to touch the ground. No part of the flag should be worn. Flags cannot be discarded if faded or torn, but must be disposed, in a flag ceremony.

So in recap, many here believe the flag is just a flag, but to some it's akin to a holy relic, and others have attached their own personal values to it, so no matter how good/bad those ideals may be anything they perceive as incorrect done to or with the flag, personally offends them.

[caervek]

do you mean rugby?

Rugby players aren't allowed to wear kids body armour, or throw the ball forwards.

[breadisfunny]

We Americans are patriotic because we basically sacrifice nothing for it, I know I am in the minority but I am 100% for mandatory military service. We don't vote, don't protest in mass for changes, don't get involved in our political system, most of the burden of this patriotism is put on a few families who sacrifice and get screwed by the government in the end.

It's extremely easy for so many to be patriotic to say we are the best and love America when you got no skin in the game.

this is a bad idea. the poor would be stuck going to war and dying and the rich would buy their way out of it or get extra cushy positions like drone controller or some office position with no real danger. not sure if i would be disqualified by virtue of my medical conditions. (adhd tourette's,epilepsy,and mild autism.)

[Ghostpanther]

We Americans are patriotic because we basically sacrifice nothing for it, I know I am in the minority but I am 100% for mandatory military service. We don't vote, don't protest in mass for changes, don't get involved in our political system, most of the burden of this patriotism is put on a few families who sacrifice and get screwed by the government in the end.

It's extremely easy for so many to be patriotic to say we are the best and love America when you got no skin in the game.

I understand your point. I do agree all healthy citizens should serve in the military for 2 years once you get out of school. But I served 3 years in the Army and still feel very patriotic. But I do hate with a passion what I am seeing happen to the US. It is slowly becoming corrupt from within. Just as Nikita Khrushchev said would be the way it would be destroyed.

[javen]

American exceptionalism is definitely a pervasive thing, and one that's started at a very young age. When learning about WW2 for example, 90% of the base cirriculum is centered around Pearl Harbor, and the invasion at Normandy and its direct effects. Very little is said about the Russians stopping the Nazis on the Eastern front, or the French resistance following the occupation of Paris. It's completely centered around America's involvement.

The reason it's so widespread is that unless you specifically seek out additional knowledge yourself, especially the atrocities that America has committed, you'd never really know about them. Our horrible and completely inhumane treatment of native americans and african slaves is never, ever brought up in our public school system, and I imagine any teacher who tried to give a historically accurate lesson on the subject would very quickly be shown the door.

This in turn breeds the notion that America is perfect, and thus nothing about it needs to change. If you already believe the United States is the "best" then changing anything about it could put that at risk. But that's not patriotism, that's just nationalism. With patriotism, you can love something, and still recognize that it's fundamentally broken in many ways and want to fix it. In fact, many of the problems the US faces today are directly due to the fact that they've been completely ignored and allowed to fester and spread.

[gamon500]

I love how people blame columbus for the biological murder of natives because of the disease he brought over.

Because yea he fucking intentionally did that.

I hate this world now.

Columbus wrote in his diary: “A hundred castellanoes are as easily obtained for a woman as for a farm, and it is very general and there are plenty of dealers who go about looking for girls; those from nine to ten are now in demand.”

Pretty sure he made children into sexual slaves intentionally. He was a monster.