Proud?

[King Flevance]

I am not particularly "proud", but that doesnt make me "self loathing" over it neither. I consider myself lucky to be born into a decent empire ith more oppurtunities for someone than some other countries. There are things I like about our country, and others I don't. However, stating your "proud" to be an american states that you would never not be an american due to too much pride to see other countries as equals to yours. Proud is a pretty strong word.

As far as the bloodline thing, yeah I suppose. But that only truely holds up if your partly native american otherwise you bloodline lies in another country technically. Same with the culture of your family. My family has strong roots to German/Irish cultures through my grandparents on my mother's side. Native American culture is non-existant in the family now as it died with my grandparent's parents on my father's side. Faint traces show up here or there but for the most part it is gone.

I don't know, I have alot of views on it. I voted no though. Why? Because although I am not ashamed to be an American, I am neither proud. I am proud to be who I am. I only happen to be an American. I would defend it because it is my home. Just as I would defend Germany or Egypt if they were my home.

 

[Elta]

I don't understand how you can be proud of something that you did 0 effort to accomplish. It's like saying "I am proud to have a nose" or "I am proud the earth orbits the sun".

Can some proud american explain to me how (s)he can be proud to be american?

My parents were born here and worked live and will die her as did there parents and as will I so WE (all americans) built this country the strongest most advanced nation in the history of all civilization, proud? yes.
*edit* with your logic it's the same as saying why vote? your just one person. etc etc we are just one person one in 298 million of the piece of the american pie ... of global domination*






























*except in football

 

[BCLG100]

im not american so nope

 

[GoodSarmatian]

Why not?
Thats like saying why take pride in your house since you just "live there"...why mow the yard? Why water the grass, why take pride in it? Of course people should be proud of their country for many reasons.

Because you worked hard to have this house, but it doesn't take much effort to be born in a certain country

 

[Grisu]

I never understood this pride thing. I was extremely lucky to be born here, I didn't really do anything to achieve this, so why should I be proud? I didn't have any part in my parents or my predecessors in this country's success, so pride would be misplaced.

feeling lucky, grateful, appreciative? hell, yes. proud? nope

 

[tomsnowman123]

Proud? Not really, my citizenshp does not require that I have pride in my country. Happy? Yes, as the US is one of the best countries (although not the best) to live in these days, and it allows me to express the beliefs I do now. As much as I disagree with our country, it's better then being born in North Korea or something. But not proud.

 

[MobBoss]

Proud? More like grateful, appreciative.

I think pride in anything you don't really have control over is meaningless, to say the least.

So...once your kids leave the house you will no longer be proud of them?

1. how many people are patriotic about their domicile?
2. why mow the yard: the long grass trips you up when out in the yard.
3. why water the grass: so`s it`ll be soft when you are out in
your bare feet [like i so often am].

Obviously you are not a home owner.

 

[puglover]

. 97 % of Indians ( versus 94 % of Americans ) are proud of being the nationality they are .

Whoa, not even 1 percent?

 

[.Shane.]

So...once your kids leave the house you will no longer be proud of them?

I realize you're joking to a degree, but I fail to see the point. Its a pretty strained metaphor.

We all have conrol over our countrys government (okay thats a bit optimistic but to a degree it's true) why grateful? we built this country all of us

I'm grateful because, being born in the US I have privileges, rights, and opportunities that most of the rest of the world does not have.

"we built this country all of us": What did you build? How did you build it?

not one general not one president has ever been more important than any soldier or factory worker/farmer etc in keeping this country together.

Since you're a young guy I'll chalk this one up to naivete. Suffice it to say, you couldn't be more wrong.

 

[MobBoss]

I realize you're joking to a degree, but I fail to see the point. Its a pretty strained metaphor.

Sigh. Once your kids leave the house they are no longer under your control. As one of your reasons not to be proud was you have no control over your nation, would you in turn not be proud of your kids once you no longer had control over them?

"we built this country all of us": What did you build? How did you build it?

By working hard, paying your taxes and supporting the nation. Just by being a productive citizen you help build the nation.

 

[Bootstoots]

Obviously you are not a home owner.

If he were a homeowner, he'd have chosen the home, and he'd have earned the home through his own work, would he not have? I fail to see how homes and countries can really be compared in this manner.

 

[Elrohir]

Yes, of course I'm proud. Why? Because America rocks!

 

[.Shane.]

Sigh. Once your kids leave the house they are no longer under your control. As one of your reasons not to be proud was you have no control over your nation, would you in turn not be proud of your kids once you no longer had control over them?

Sigh x2 (your turn to e-sigh). As a parent, even though they're out of the house, their future successes are still directly related to my interactions with them AND just because they're "out of the house" that doesn't mean that the support, infuence, relationships don't end. At any rate, comparing familial interactions and relationships to the more abstract notion of being an American, esp. in terms of being proud of it, is strained at best.

By working hard, paying your taxes and supporting the nation. Just by being a productive citizen you help build the nation.

Again, these are things you don't have much choice in. In that, you have to work for a living and you have to pay taxes.

Now, if someone actually does something that makes a difference, then I think they'd have a more legitimate reason to feel proud. But even then, statistically speaking, the people who "make a difference" probably number in the 100s or low 1000s.

 

[MobBoss]

Sigh x2 (your turn to e-sigh). As a parent, even though they're out of the house, their future successes are still directly related to my interactions with them AND just because they're "out of the house" that doesn't mean that the support, infuence, relationships don't end. At any rate, comparing familial interactions and relationships to the more abstract notion of being an American, esp. in terms of being proud of it, is strained at best.

So you choose to argue semantics instead of answering the question? Fine. I am a parent of three teenagers.....I know the support, etc. does not end...however, my daily control over my kids does end once they leave the house. I never said nor insinuated that the relationship would end. My point is direct control is not needed in order to feel a sense of pride over something. Apparently, you got too caught up in the semantics to see that.

Again, these are things you don't have much choice in. In that, you have to work for a living and you have to pay taxes.

No...you have choices there as well. You could be a criminal and feed off the work of others. You could be on welfare and feed off the state. You can most certainly can choose to be non-productive.

Now, if someone actually does something that makes a difference, then I think they'd have a more legitimate reason to feel proud. But even then, statistically speaking, the people who "make a difference" probably number in the 100s or low 1000s.

As a teacher you dont think you make a difference in peoples lives? I think everyone can make a difference...not just 100 or 1000 of us.

 

[El_Machinae]

Now, if someone actually does something that makes a difference, then I think they'd have a more legitimate reason to feel proud. But even then, statistically speaking, the people who "make a difference" probably number in the 100s or low 1000s.

I guess that's how someone could be take pride in their nation. They take steps to actually make a difference (in some small way), and then feel proud knowing that their place is a bit better because of them.

But, another way of asking the 'proud' question would be - if you could move to someplace better than your own country, would you? The question remains more fitting if you assume a really low opportunity cost (i.e., if you could move all your friends and family (for free) to a country where the grass was greener, the skys are clearer, and the beer is better - would you go?)

 

[.Shane.]

So you choose to argue semantics instead of answering the question? Fine. I am a parent of three teenagers.....I know the support, etc. does not end...however, my daily control over my kids does end once they leave the house. I never said nor insinuated that the relationship would end. My point is direct control is not needed in order to feel a sense of pride over something. Apparently, you got too caught up in the semantics to see that.

lol, dude, I thought I was answering your question. I didn't get "caught up in semantics", I was simply trying to understand and elaborate on what you said. Geez...

The irony is you're focusing on 1 work I used "control" and beating that aspect into the ground, rather than understanding the spirit of what I'm saying. So "control" may not have been the best word, or it maybe it should've been accompanied by other words like influence or effect.

No...you have choices there as well. You could be a criminal and feed off the work of others. You could be on welfare and feed off the state. You can most certainly can choose to be non-productive.

Those choices are not a unique quality of being an American. Whether you live in a great country or a shabby one, choosing to work hard and pay your taxes is a moral choice. Some would argue, even, a religious or moral obligation. TBH, I don't feel that they're choices. The way I was raised they're just what you do.

As a teacher you dont think you make a difference in peoples lives? I think everyone can make a difference...not just 100 or 1000 of us.

In a micro sense, sure. In a macro sense, only if I get lucky, lol. But, again, my comment about a "difference maker" was not in terms of individual people, rather in terms of the broader idea of the nation.

 

[.Shane.]

But, another way of asking the 'proud' question would be - if you could move to someplace better than your own country, would you? The question remains more fitting if you assume a really low opportunity cost (i.e., if you could move all your friends and family (for free) to a country where the grass was greener, the skys are clearer, and the beer is better - would you go?)

I disagree. The question you're asking is simply one of satisfaction. And I think that its unfair to frame the question as "either you're proud or you should Get the fu heck out!" (I realize that's not your intent, but its a defacto limitation of the question you posted)

As I said, I'm grateful and appreciative of my country. Its hard for me to say I "love" it, because I find it hard to love anything that's not flesh and blood. But, yeah, I do love my country.

So, we should keep in mind that there is a whole range of sentiments that one can have toward their country.

Now, that said, even though I'm pretty dissatisfied w/ the current administration, it would take a hell of a lot to make me consider moving. And this brings me to a more interesting, IMHO, thought. The idea of being loyal to a country but not the ruler per se. I think that's a nice aspect of democracy.

 

[Yeeek]

There's the "Proud not to be American" 's option missing in the Poll. I kid, i kid I think i've been proud before to be French, or at least even if proud doesn't describe the feeling, it was very close to what you feel when.. say your home city team win a tournament. Kinda. I guess. Because, you live there, you feel great wearing the colors of your home town and all. Does this relate to anyone else?

 

[pboily]

Although Grenoble and success aren't words thrown together very often when talking about football, eh, Yeek?

 

[Masquerouge]

I find it hard to be proud of something you're not responsible for.
I can be delighted when France beats Brazil in the World Cup, of course, but not proud...