why aren't we proud of who we are as Americans any more?

Question

we still have plenty of good things going here why wont the media machine cover them ,others around the planet are begining to take their crap and run with it .

Answer 1

We won the Cold War (not to mention WWII) and haven't had a major, recent threat to our superpower status (yes we are all expecting China to get there soon, maybe India, etc.) which once united us against a common enemy and created a greater sense of appreciation for the rights and liberties found in the USA. Without any threat to our rights, government, political institutions, or economic growth/stability, I think Americans have become complacent with their freedom and have, strangely, developed a guilty complex for having won the Cold War; whereas countries around the globe used to ask for American "protection" (not to mention all the economic and military aid provided), our protection is no longer needed or our presence wanted (our money is still quite popular) by factions in most countries and they now spew out propaganda that any foreign American action is a sign of our "imperialism"- and many Americans have come to believe/side with the propaganda spewed by these foreign leaders (many of which are essentially dictators). In addition without a perceived common enemy, Americans have allowed themselves to become much more divided on both domestic and international issues. Americans nowadays also have no sense of their history as members of political parties and various other groups(both inside and outside our country) with their own agendas continually battle to put out their "versions" of politically correct US History. We are to feel guilty for the entire basis of our history ranging from killing off the Native American tribes (yes terrible but similar events have and continue to take place in the development/history of most nations) during the birth and expansion of our nation to the pollution/environmental concerns caused by our industrialization to even seemingly "owing" everyone else in the world either the right to come here to make money since our whole country is a land of immigrants (Mexicans also claim they are simply re-taking lands we stole from them in the Southwest) or we owe them aid/money; I actually love to debate many of the pc versions/issues of American history (even calling the USA by America or the residents of the US as Americans have become issues of debate nowadays) by those spinning out their revisionist history for which Americans are to somehow feel shame for (in order for these groups to achieve whatever their agendas are). Furthermore, Americans have no sense of "the outside world," other countries and cultures, international relations, or, the history and development of other nations either; heck Americans have incredible stereotypes against Americans living in other parts of our own nation as they enjoy everything they need in their own neighborhoods and, as a result, have never (or needed to) leave their "homes" to see for themselves how other peoples live- either in other regions of the US or abroad in other nations. Americans may live the most culturally "insulated" lifes anywhere due to our economic prosperity which creates no incentive to know about or care about anywhere else; in addition Americans have much less reason to leave our nation due to both its generally larger siz as compared to other nations and the fact that the US offers a tremendous variety in climate, recreational opportunities, lifestyle choices, etc. As you say the media machine also continues to be partly at fault. Whether it is local, regional, national, our international, you must notice that the vast coverage on all levels is primarily slanted to point out only the problems, conflicts, etc. My best friend has worked in journalism for decades and told me basically the media needs to keep "provoking" its readers/viewers/listeners/etc. in order to ensure they continue to come back the following day; the media does definitely slant news with a negative approach and, at times, goes as far as creating "issues" to maintain their followers. Having the most developed and farthest reaching media anywhere, Americans are further continually bombarded all day every day with all the millions of actual and "perceived" problems (from the most minor things to the most serious issues) inside our nation and those we are supposedly responsible for abroad; of course everyone else around the globe sees our problems whether they are major or minor or real or not and Americans, on the other hand, see much less of the greater problems in most other nations (either due to the fact that the media has a much more difficult time entering/reporting stories in the far more repressive nations abroad, or, due to the facts that we just want to ignore/tune out the world's problems). These are just some of the major reasons why I personally think Americans have just grown to lose their appreciation for what being an American actually means- we have become complacent with our freedoms due to no threat to them; we have no knowledge, interest in, or appreciation of either the history our diversity within our nation and even more so in foreign places since our economic prosperity has allowed us to have everything we could ever need materially right in our own back yards; we have become warped by the continual negative slant of every possible problem inside our country (while not seeing what goes on abroad)- and, furthermore, all of these factors are inter-related and seem to foster on another further.

Answer 2

I am proud to be an American. I think that ours is the greatest nation the world has ever known. I am not proud of the image that has been created due to reckless policies and "nation building" efforts on the part of our Great Leader. Others don't need the media machine to take the crap and run with it. Many of them have it piled in their own backyards. Ask an average Iraqi citizen who has just witnessed his entire family being executed if the likes the "freedom" we have brought. This President, against the advice of nearly the entire world, against the advice of the UN and the weapons inspectors, has wrought death and destruction an Iraq on a scale unimaginable under Saddam Hussein. And for what, to get the "weapons of mass destruction".

Don't you think he should have thought about all the smaller weapons that are killing our troops and innocent Iraqis. This was was ill conceived, unjust and fought without any exit strategy whatsoever. What was the plan again? Oh yeah, get the WMD. No WMD, well let's "liberate" them. I hear that worked out real well.

Answer 3

Because politicians have bred mistrust into us and the media runs with that idea all of the time. We don't want to know the Native Americans are starving and still living on inhospitable reservations, we'd rather be awed by what new movies are coming out, or the stupid war in Iraq, or other inanities. We don't trust our politicians, the way we vote, the voting process itself and yet we wish it was different. The only way that will change is if the media, which used to be called the Foruth Estate starts shoiwing news that is noteworthy. The media used to be called the watchdog of government, now it is the lapdog of government.

Answer 4

I'm d@*% proud. With all our faults there is still no other place on the planet that I would rather live.
as much as some people complain I would be willing to bet after a month or so in a third world country, most of them would be begging to get home to there cable TV, Internet, and air-conditioned 3 bedroom 2 and a half bath homes.

Answer 5

Charlie Daniels Said It Best In the 80's:

Well the eagle's been flying slow and the flag's been flying low
And a lot of people are saying that America's fixing to fall

But speaking just for me and some people from Tennessee
We got a thing or two to tell you all

This lady may have stumbled but she ain't never fell
And if the Russians don't believe that they can all go straight to hell

We're gonna put her feet back on the path of righteousness
And then God bless America again

And you never did think that it ever would happen again
In America, did you?

You never did think that we'd ever get together again
Well we damn sure fooled you

We're walking real proud and we're talking real loud again in America
You never did think that it ever would happen again

From the sound up in Long Island out to San Francisco Bay
And ev'ry thing that's in between them is our home

And we may have done a little bit of fighting amongst ourselves
But you outside people best leave us alone

Cause we'll all stick together and you can take that to the bank
That's the cowboys and the hippies and the rebels and the yanks

You just go and lay your head on a Pittsburgh Steeler fan
And I think you're gonna finally understand

And you never did think that it ever would happen again
In America, did you?

You never did think that we'd ever get together again
Well we damn sure fooled you

We're walking real proud and we're talking real loud again in America
You never did think that it ever would happen again

Answer 6

When the populace stands idly by while their government acts arrogantly, without concern for world opinion or thoughtful and reasonable leaders, then the populace can take no pride in their country being condemned by the clamoring of world wide outrage.

Answer 7

I'm very proud of what America stands for. I was so grateful for what this country means to me that I gave 10 years of my life to defend her. What I'm not proud of are guys like Bush and Cheney and their die-hard supporters like shiraz (or super-shiraz, as he calls himself now) or John Skerry taking the Constitution and wiping their asses on it. They claim to respect and honor our sacrifices, but yet by their own actions they spit and $h!t on us.

Answer 8

I'm proud to be an American, but we need a President we can be proud of instead of ashamed of.

Answer 9

Its no longer the home of the free and the brave.

Answer 10

A lot of us still are.