Is it Patriotic to pretend you love your country, yet despise your government?

Question

"How dare you suggest that we, in the freest nation on earth, live in tyranny? How dare you call yourselves patriots and heroes? I say to you, all of you, there is nothing patriotic about hating your country or pretending that you can love your country but despise your government. There is nothing heroic about turning your back on America or ignoring your own responsibilities. If you want to preserve your own freedom, you must stand up for the freedom of others with whom you disagree, but you also must stand up for the rule of law. You cannot have one without other." BILL CLINTON

Liberals - is HE right or is his wife right? She and the current left wing kook fringe take the opposite view of Bill's.

Answer 1

Didn't he completely contradict that when he said, you can't say you love your country, but hate your government....? (1995; after OKC)

Of course, this IS the same man who said, "You know the one thing that's wrong with this country? Everyone gets a chance to have their fair say."

And this is one of my favorites..... "[There is] no question that an admission of making false statements to government officials and interfering with the FBI and the CIA is an impeachable offense." Arkansas Gazette 8 August 1974

One final quote - "A lot of wonderful people love their country and hate the military." - Bill Clinton, 1969 (Letter to the National Guard)

What more really needs to be said?

Answer 2

A few years ago, just after 9/11, I saw a pickup truck in our parking lot at work. On one side of the back bumper was a big yellow sticker that said "United We Stand". On the other side was a somewhat older sticker that said 'I Love My Country but I Distrust My Government'. This, I gathered, was from the Clinton years.

It's fun to quote Bill Clinton out of context and call Hillary a leftwing kook, but look at how Republicans have behaved in the last few years. When Clinton was in office it was totally okay to bash the US government--it's your patriotic duty. When a Republican president is in office, disagreeing with the president suddenly becomes treasonous somehow.

The Republicans are failing these days because they are unable to articulate a plan for the US. All they can do is bash Democrats. But the era of hyperbolic attack rhetoric is over. People are just tired of it. When I hear someone dismiss Hillary as a 'socialist' or 'left wing kook', it shows me that they are unable to argue intelligent with her ideas, all they can do is call her names!

Answer 3

Pretend? hmmmm--you've left out so many Americans with your rant--you have been conditioned to believe there's a left wing boogey man after you. The true left wing may be 2 or 3 per cent of the electorate. You forgot the majority of Americans, the middle of the road, middle class who do love their country. They despise that these last eight years have been such horrible disappointments. These years were stolen from them, Americans were lied to and cheated, their jobs and homes and rights were taken away and they were bombarded by a war of confusion and threat levels. The American people aren't kooks, but they are mad as hell. Watch out!

Answer 4

Completely wrong. The founding fathers loved their country but hated the government england had imposed on them. So they got rid of the bad government and put in a good one. Fighting against the government is one of the most patriotic things you can do, because it means that you care about your country and dont want to see it governed the wrong way

Answer 5

i am a patriot, always have been, always will be.
i love my country, and i have no gov't. it was stolen by a bunch of wealthy traitors just after the 2nd war. it doesn't matter what party is in the white house, they're not representing the people of america, and their agenda is to take over the world, and have only super rich, and super poor. think i'm lying? look how this country is going backwards. the gov't owns the trees, the water, the land, the kids and their working on the air you breathe. IT IS VERY POSSIBLE TO LOVE YOUR COUNTRY, AND HATE THE GOV'T.

Answer 6

well, it's hard for me to discern when my government stopped being my government. maybe it never was. maybe the American government has been "for the mega corporations and by the mega corporations" since i was a little kid and before that. i don't know. i do know now that it has become undeniably apparent that those who come to possess the seats of power in America couldn't care less what the American citizenry think or want. the Bush admin has demonstrated in no uncertain terms that the elite incomes and comforts of "haves and have mores" are the only true concern for the government. the peons and wage slaves (also known as taxpayers) can yell all they please that they'd prefer health care over warfare but the plutocrats in power find more profit in war than in health of the citizens who pay their salaries so tough weenies, Joeblow Sixpack.

PS. once you've established your connections with the right lobbyists and CEOs and pass the legislations they desire you don't need that piddly salary anymore anyway.

Answer 7

He's right! But, He was talking about the Michigan militia and Rush took it out of context and decided to apply it to Iraq. I say that if you want to apply it to Iraq then yu have to apply it to GWB. GWB says he's patriotic but he doesn't stand up or support the rule of law because it's obvious he hates the constitution and it's principles. If we apply it to GWB then you realize that GWB has been the one who has not stood upt for the rule of law (meaning our constitution) and therefore has not stood up for freedom or the preservation of the freedoms that the Constitution has given us. GWB went to war and created a horrible situation for our country. And, he lied to congress and the American people to justify going to war in Iraq. GWB considers himself above the law because it's is well documented that he doesn't respect the rule of law because he has broken that rule of law so many times. The problem is that the right wing kook fringe stands by GWB and in opposition of what Bill Clinton said. And, you cannot tell me that Hillary disagrees with Bill on this matter, no matter how many times you quote that liar and manipulater Rush Limbaugh. The GOP has shown nothing but contempt for the rule of law of our country and for the freedoms granted by the constitution. They have turned into a fascist party. The fact that you still support them says alot about you and your false piety.

Answer 8

You cannot separate the country from the government.Our form of government is what makes us a country united as one.

Answer 9

Provide some sources of this 'left wing kook fringe.'

Answer 10

Not exaclty, but we all do it. Based on previous questions you do not like a lot of our govt's social policies. Thats also turning your back on the nation.