Ash UK/US

Are Americans too Patriotic or could other countries follow their example in taking so much pride in their country?

With 4th of July just about upon us most houses around here are flying their flags. Lots of people fly them year round. I seldom see anyone fly a flag in the UK

I just got done reading a article on the AOL welcome page about the top 10 fuel efficent cars. In the top ten only American brand was listed and it was ranked 7th. Lots of replies in the comments section about supporting the country and buying American.

fatbrit

They used to try that trick with Marinas and Allegros. Some fools even fell for it.

Toyotas, Hondas, Nissans, BMWs and even Subarus are made here, anyway. And GMs and VWs are made in Mexico!

pejpm1

I admire patriotism....however many Americans version of patriotism seems to be hostility to everyone else. It's just a result of how unaware they are of the world around them. I know plenty of Americans are well versed in current affairs and global issues, but on the whole I'd say they are very insular compared to other western nations. I do think we could do with some more patriotism in the UK however.

I dont like how they mix patriotism with talking about the armed forces every 5mins. I was at a baseball game recently, and they sang god bless america and asked everyone to stand to 'respect the armed forces around the world protecting our freedom'. Also, on the back of the paper the other day was an ad from the MLB talking about all the teams being united behind our troops around the world protecting freedom. Dont get me wrong, I think armed forces do a great job...but I dont see why they equate national pride with the army all the time.

ugacrew

We don't. Only in times of war is it really combined. Before 9-11 you could go to a game and not hear the request to stand in honor of our troops. It's just done simply out of respect for them. The other thing is that these games are televised and the feed reaches the troops who are fighting. It's an opportunity that we have to show group support for them that they can actually see for themselves. Also, it depends on where you are in the country. If you are in a military town then you'll experience more of this than if you were in a town that isn't. For instance, I don't get the support the troops here more than I did when I lived in DC. DC is a huge military town and you can't escape the high level of patriotism there. It's infectious and having grown up there has really made me a patriot. That and having a dad in the Army where pride in country, duty, and the core mission is a constant theme.

HoosierDaddy

A caller on the Diane Rehm Show on NPR this morning made an excellent point. Columnist Tony Blankley said that military service is arguably the highest form of patriotism and should rightly be lauded. So a caller calls up and rhetorically wonders what that says of Dick Cheney's many efforts to dodge military service back in the day. Wonderful point, well made and agreed to a great extent by the panel. Does that make Cheney less of a Patriot?

ugacrew

Serving in the military indeed is a high form of patriotism, however there are so many other ways of being a patriot. One can be a patriot by heeding the call to public service. Another might join in protest against certain laws that infringe on our rights as individuals. There are so many ways to serve your country that doesn't involve enlistment.

To call into question the patriotism of Vice President Cheney, whether you love or totally dislike the man, is a weak argument to say the least. Personally I don't like Cheney but he has served the country in other ways. I had the opportunity to meet him while he held the office of SECDEF before his character became questionable. From what I understand at the time, he did a great job as SECDEF and was respected by the troops.

Giantaxe

Naah, he's definitely a patriot because he wears a lapel pin of an American flag

surly

Doesn't every British household have picture of the Queen on the wall?

elfman

one question might be to what extent singing "God bless America" at baseball games and driving around with "support the troops" stickers on cars actually translates to any tangible efforts to make life better for miltary personnel or keep them safe from unnecessary harm. For a great many people I suspect that the singing/stickers is as far as their "support" actually goes.

Kali-forniarrr

A very perceptive and droll comment!

fatbrit

The flag was hijacked a long time ago. It's the preserve of the loony right hiding their disgusting bigotry behind pseudo patriotism, car dealers, and show houses in new home developments.

Michaelmike5556

oo i forgot your a a left wing socialist .... the only thing you think is patriotism is a check from the government

fatbrit

I'm very patriotic. I swore an oath to the Constitution and do my best to keep it.

dbj1000

An excellent point, and it relates directly to something my wife pointed out just yesterday; when we first arrived in Texas in 2003, almost every car had a "Support Our Troops" sticker of some sort. Now it's maybe one car in 20 at most. So what happened to all those "supportive" people? I think that as the war became less popular with the electorate, and as economic times got tougher back home, they simply lost interest. They never actively "supported" the troops in the first place, and now they're much more concerned about themselves, just like they were before the war.

I'm strongly opposed to the war in Iraq, and think that America did a terrible thing invading. However, I've consistently given money to the Fallen Heroes charity fund, helping to rehabilitate troops injured in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere around the world. I would never consider having a "Support Our Troops" sticker, as they have become strongly associated with the Republicans, the Right, and everything I most dislike about this country's politically polarized state. Yet I believe I am more "supportive" of our troops than the vast majority of Americans.

elfman

Interesting article:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/73374aac-c...nclick_check=1