Thoughts on America
I am a native-born citizen of the United States, as were my parents. The prior generation were immigrants, Jews from eastern Europe. I attended public schools in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Northridge, California. The education was mixed with a generous portion of indoctrination. When one course is set for all, it can’t be any different. Someone’s point of view will prevail. Usually, it is that of whoever won the war.
It makes no sense for me to say I’m proud to be an American. I had no choice. We should take pride in things we worked for or chose with our volition, not in things that happen to us by accident or circumstance. Naturalized citizens who immigrate from other countries can and should be proud to be American. They worked hard for that right.
Although I can’t be proud to be American, I am sometimes ashamed. When America engages in forever wars, for example. Or when it flirts with fascism. Americans can be arrogant and boorish. I find it tedious to consider if America is great, was ever great, or could be great again. Rather, let’s just note some things I like and dislike about my country.
Things I Like About America
You can almost always choose between buy and build, to suit yourself. You can find ingredients for any cuisine or have the worst junk food delivered at any hour.
You can to a very great extent write your own story, notwithstanding luck and circumstance. The “American Dream,” while weighted heavily towards home ownership and consumerism, also comprises individual initiative, innovation, and peaceful coexistence.
Industry rapidly rises to meet any popular demand
My neighbors are free to proclaim their idiosyncrasies via flags, as above, or with Halloween decorations, as this yard of a family with two young children.
Things I Dislike About America
Pledging allegiance to a flag? That makes as much sense as worshiping a stone carving.
Our “health care” and “education” systems are more about who pays for what than about making people healthy and well-educated.
America finally ended slavery, but it seems to persist. The same with racism and other forms of bigotry.
Too many Americans cheat to win, and too many assume their opponents cheated when they lose. This refers to all endeavors, including education, taxes, and business, not just politics.
Winston Churchill is often dubiously quoted as saying some variation of, “Americans can always be trusted to do the right thing, once all other possibilities have been exhausted.” Regardless of the exact wording or who first said it, I wish weren’t true, but it is, and it stings.
I really enjoyed reading this! I’m left with some thought provoking cultural meanderings circulating in my little 21 inch cranium. Happy Halloween and vote!
Dan’l, I agree with almost everything that you wrote about here, both things to like and thinks to dislike.
One notable exception to that is that I think that only a limited and shrinking set of people can write their own story, at least in any significant regards. Most significantly home ownership is getting too far away for all but the very rich, particularly in the places where most jobs exist. Without changes, rich are going to sell (frequently vacant) homes to other rich without any consideration for the normal person. Home ownership will just be a way of keeping score in the “I’m richer than you” contest: “I have over 1400 houses, worth $(lots) millions”.
Another positive about America is the significant amount of wilderness, parks, and wide open spaces. The relatively easy access to not-so-spoiled nature.
Another negative is the degrading quality, and thus value, of consumer products. People have to spend more percentage of their wages and more time (re-) buying poor quality merchandise. The products are set up for higher profits (generally lower cost to manufacture) and more frequent repeat sales. At the low end price is emphasized rather than value. The higher-end consumer products are better quality, but have unreasonable costs (how pricey are the latest flagship cell phones?).
Thanks for your thoughts, Steve. How pleasant to have a thoughtful and polite response. It can still happen, even in America. As Leonard Cohen sang, “Democracy is coming to the USA!”