Why do some people think that disliking your government automatically equates it with hating your country?

Question

Must you love your government (right or wrong) in order to love your country, even if your country was founded on dissent?

Answer 1

It is because some people translate statements into extremes and some people cannot separate the government from the actual country. I see it a lot on here. America is NOT the Bush Administration. This is the chart they use:

"I don't like the Bush Administration's policies." = "You hate America and don't deserve to live here you unpatriotic liberal filth."

"I don't think we should have gone to war in Iraq." = "You hate the military and don't deserve to live here you unpatriotic libtard" and can also = "You support the terrorists and don't deserve to live here you coward."

"I think religion and government should remain as separate as possible."="You hate Christians."

The people that do this have little to no understanding of what America is really all about. They allow themselves to get bum-rushed by the media that caters to them. It is sad.

Answer 2

Good question:) Unfortunately many people cannot, or will not distinguish the differences, and I hate our current corruptament, and by that I mean all D's, I's, and R's that have been fulfilling personal agendas rather than representing the US citizens, thus I love my country and would die for it in order to preserve our freedom, and I don't believe that our country was founded upon dissent, just study the history of any country and you'll learn that all were founded by similar means.

Answer 3

Where is your patriotism? (Bush would say)

“Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.”
Hermann Göring 1946 Nuremberg Trials(Nazi)

Answer 4

Actually, that's a pretty pathetic strawman argument you're posing. Nobody said disliking the government or disagreeing with it is unpatriotic or anti-American. That's your twisting of the words and concepts so you can paint yourself as some kind of martyrs or others as some kind of zealots.

No, what is anti-American is opposing our own troops and supporting the terrorists. What is anti-American is supporting the exposure of national security intelligence operations and undermining this country during a time of war, putting peoples' lives at risk. What is anti-American is opposing every action of the president simply for partisan political power, despite the harm it does to America, despite number of lives it puts at risk.

Are these concepts too nuanced for you?

Answer 5

tell me about it. i like some american people of corse not all because they are the ones who support this murdering government but the reason i want to stay in my country is because i believe that this country can change and if all the good people were to leave this country sooner or later other countries will over throw this nation. probally not in our lifetime but sooner or later. what gives them the right to tell us that we do not have a right to a voice when we are the ones who try to make this a more rightous country morally.

Answer 6

Because most people who dislike the government talk so much about how much they hate america.

Answer 7

Because it's always your fault.If your Gov't fails,it's your fault.They'll never take the blame nor face the consequences of their wrong decisions.But that's a magnificent strategy if you are the Gov't.

Answer 8

it is a right wing tactic to descredit the messanger.