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anonymous
writes:Is it wrong for thinking my home country (U.S.A.) is the greatest country in the world? I come from a military family, and have such a deep respect for our armed forces. I am not the most patriotic person in the world, of course I do not trust the government, but God knows I love my country and the people. On fb especially I have been called an arrogant American...but I never intend on insulting other countries. I am proud of my ethnic background and proud of my ancestors, but I grew up here. Does everyone feel this way about their respective country? Or am I really just another arrogant American?
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reader, anonymous, writes (1 June 2011): Is it all right to say that the USA is the greatest country in the world yes if you had a 6 pack. That goes for every country around the world they all have there flaws and there weakness. I think you need to travel.
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reader, anonymous, writes (31 May 2011): I understand your viewpoint OP and why you view it that way. It is typical of families with both a military tradition, you'll find very similar attitudes in British and American military families because not viewing things that way is by a lot seen as betraying those currently on overseas service.
Of course you should be proud of what your grandfather and other family members have done to serve their country but you do sound like you've completely bought into rhetoric, the rhetoric that keeps people like your family fighting unjust wars. What your grandfather did in Normandy was exceptionally brave and good. But it wouldn't have happened if Japan did not attack America as they had left Europe to rot until then. You also have to remember that Russia had the war won by then too, with or without America, Europe was going to be free of Nazi rule it just would have taken longer.
"And we have never repeated any of ours."
Vietnam was a repeat of Korea and Iraq and Afghanistan is a repeat of those. You do realize the war in Afghanistan is being lost right? That it's an unwinnable war. Nearly a decade you've been there and you will not defeat the Taliban, no country in the history of the world has managed to tame the Afghan people. So all the money you have spent there while there are families in your country being thrown onto the streets because they've lost their jobs to the recession. Iraq wasn't won either, your country basically installed a puppet government to keep sending you oil, instead of actually defeating the insurgency you set up conditions there where the two main tribes fought each other so instead of defeating them you armed them both and paid them both to defend their own areas. Iraq is in a state of subdued civil war, right now the people there are war weary but once that fades they will be in open conflict with each other, but America doesn't care so long as they get their oil.
You trained and funded Ho Chi Minh to fight the Japanese and he ended up kicking your ass in Vietnam, you trained and funded Osama Bin Laden and he ended up kicking your ass in your own country. You gave chemical weapons and lots of money to Sadam Hussein to use on the Iranians because you wanted him to capture vital oil territory for you and also you were pissed that the Iranians overthrew the shah who had been your ally, you still are so the Iranians are still "evil", the same as the Cubans because they kicked your mafia owned puppet government off their Island so they could be free of your oppression. Yet you still cripple them with sanctions, for what? What threat are they to you now?
You continue to support the devastating and wholly wrong, wholesale ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians, a people whose majority live in refugee camps in the worlds largest ever prison, all because America needs a strong ally in the middle east to be able to control the area for oil. One of the greatest human tragedies perpetrated by the victims of one of histories greatest tragedies all funded by America.
"And we usually are first to bat to stand up for the underdog"
No you're not, your country is actually actively keeping underdogs down. Whenever you come to someones "aid" it's only ever when it suits your countries needs. World war II was fine example of that. The 1 million Vietnamese civilians your bombs and chemical weapons killed would disagree, the 1 million Iraqis that have died by your actions would disagree, the Koreans, the Afghans, the South Americans, the Iranians, the Palestinians, the Cubans, the Cambodians, the Laotians, the Somali, the list of people that have been killed directly by your country or by people armed and funded by your country is staggering. America has killed more unarmed civilians and fought more wars than all the other countries combined by a factor of estimated to be 7 to 1.
If you really rooted for the underdog, you'd help out the Burmese, the Karen, the Hmong (your allies who left to be slaughtered), the Congolese, you wouldn't still force the Indians to live in reservations, you give them back their land, you'd release Cuba from your crippling sanctions which has kept them in the stone ages, the Shia and Kurds in Iraq who you promised aid if they rebelled only to be crushed by Saddam using chemical weapons you gave him, while you sat back did nothing. The genocides in Rwanda, Darfur, the Balkans (who the Europeans had to beg you to help). The truth is OP America likes keeping other countries as underdogs when it suits them. You didn't go to Afghanistan for Freedom and Democracy, you went there as an act of revenge for supporting Bin Laden. You went in to Iraq for oil, where's the WMD's?
"Why did you come here, we literally give away free education to people who would have never had that benefit in their own country"
They went there to make more money OP. America is the richest country in the planet and it sells itself as the greatest on TV that is watched the world over. But when people actually get there they realize how harsh and cold a country it actually is to immigrants, you treat them like dirt and have a very dim view of them even though you are a country of European immigrants.
"Yes, I can agree some wars were absolutely pointless. But nonetheless, that is not for me or anyone else to judge."
It is for you and for all of us to judge, this is our world OP, we have to change the way it works. We can't just sit back and let our governments continue to do this kid of thing. What's the point of freedom and democracy if you're going to let your country do this kind of thing time and again? Governments are supposed to be for the people so we always have to question their decisions and force them to do the right thing.
"There is a reason it is called history... It is in the past and none of us can change it."
You can't ignore history OP because it's not just history, it's policy that still exists, it's the way your country is still the treating the rest of the world and when Sarah Palin becomes president next year it will get even worse. When you ignore history it will always repeat itself.
America loves to play the victim, especially after 9/11 and they use that to enact deep atrocities on other races, yet it is the inexcusable atrocities you have committed on the Muslims that gave rise to Al Qaeda and groups like them. America oppressed and raped so much from them that they decided to fight back the only way they knew how.
You're not arrogant OP, but you are blind. Your followups are full of rhetoric with no basis in fact, or just completely ignoring fact. You have to understand OP, I can't say any of the above without most Americans getting very insulted, but everything I stated is fact. It doesn't mean I dislike Americans, I like them they're a great people. But the rest of the world views your country as the childlike bullies. The prevailing views coming out of America especially from republicans is exceptionally small minded and closed. When Sarah Palin becomes president we're all screwed OP, Bush was an idiot cowboy but he was kept in check.
Be proud of the good your country has done but remember it's only a happy coincidence that it was in your interest to do so. Many people around the world are still dying and suffering immense hardships because of your countries policies, policies that could easily be changed but would mean you make less money.
I could give you the same amount of information about what's wrong with Ireland, if not even more. The same with England, France etc. No country is better than the others and I have absolutely no doubt that if Ireland was as powerful as America we'd be doing the exact same thing as you are doing to gain more power and hold onto that power.That's the nature of humanity. You're on top now OP but no empire lasts forever and the Chinese are quickly overtaking you and will overtake you this century. America is the most divided country of any Western civilization. The only thing holding you together and preventing another civil war is the fact you're so heavily indoctrinated from birth to love your country and because at the moment you have a common cause and always have wars and a common enemy to fight against. Take away war from American society and that would force you to look at yourselves, take away war and Americans would fight each other.
America's rise has been profound and staggering and its fall will be devastating. Have no doubt it will happen. History always repeats itself and those on top always have the hardest fall.
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reader, chigirl  +, writes (31 May 2011):
 The arrogance comes when you say things like "we have indeed made the world in some cases an even safer place." as if you are better than other countries and other countries don't contribute in any way to world society.
Listen... the USA haven't done more "good" for the world than bad, or any worse or better than any other country. Well, except for dropping two atomic bombs. But we could quarrel all day.
Be proud of your country, sure. But don't push it up in peoples faces, because no one will agree with you unless they're American themselves.
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reader, serenity80  +, writes (31 May 2011):
One of the problems of people who are patriotic is that they generally haven't travelled the world, and experienced how other people live. You can't really be proud, and claim your way of life is best, when you don't know what else is out there. You say you are proud to be an American and from a military family. How can this be? in the last decade alone, your military is responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of civilians in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. I don't see what there is to be proud about that, unless you are a warmonger.
Have a search for "american soldiers are waking up" on YouTube.
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reader, idoneitagain  +, writes (31 May 2011):
On what basis is any country "the best" or "greatest" in comparison to any other? The point from which you choose this is arbitrary, purely subjective. It is like one person saying pizza is the best and another saying a burger is the best. Trying to assert one or other view as being true or right is absurd, but people do it, and fight wars with others for it. This is an arrogance.
To say "I love my country" can sound like a good thing, but there is a dangerous implication that you think it is better than anyone else's country, which is again arbitrary, and can also be based in ignorance by ignoring the things that are "bad" about the country.
The other subtle problem with loving "my" country or "my" people is that it separates "us" and "them" which is the basis for separateness and war. What makes the average American on a bus going to his job as an accountant in Cleveland more important, better, or more worthy of love and trust than the average Nigerian on a bus going to his job as a dentist in Lagos? Why do you love "your people" more that those other people? It is absurd.
Also, if you claim your country is the best in the world but you haven't ever lived in another country to experience even one other possibility, that is being arrogant and ignorant. This highlights that there really is no basis for judgement.
How about trying: "these are all the things I love about my country, and the people that live here, in general. What is there that you love about your country, about your people, what makes your country special to you? Isn't our world an amazing, rich, diverse place? Lets get a pizza or burger..."
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reader, anonymous, writes (31 May 2011): This is verified as being by the original poster of the questionIs not where I was born.. It was where my ancestors were born. We all should have pride in our countries, regardless of the history. There is a reason it is called history... It is in the past and none of us can change it. But I am proud of my country, and yes AIDS is an epidemic. My brother has it. Teenage pregnancy I was a statistic. Now being in my 20s, I still wouldn't change my past because my son was a blessing. And although it was a harsh lesson, we made it through. So please don't think I don't know our flaws as a country.. But we also have more good that outweighs the bad.. In my opinion. Thanks for the response everyone, it is appreciated
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reader, anonymous, writes (31 May 2011): This is verified as being by the original poster of the questionWe all learn lessons. And we have never repeated any of ours. And we usually are first to bat to stand up for the underdog...and in all honesty our economy is hurt enough without more pointless wars. We constantly dump money into other countries, and yet when we have a natural disaster... I feel there is not much aid. I have indeed met many immigrants who state their country is better..and my arguement always is: Why did you come here, we literally give away free education to people who would have never had that benefit in their own country. The most arrogant person I ever met lived in Estonia.. I just feel sometimes we do not receive proper credit where it is due. Nor do a lot of other countries...but we do try and bend over backwards to help. Yes, I can agree some wars were absolutely pointless. But nonetheless, that is not for me or anyone else to judge. Sorry if it seemed as if I was being harsh to any country and I have a great respect for many of them. I myself have a strong Greek background. But that
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reader, anonymous, writes (31 May 2011): This is verified as being by the original poster of the questionIt's not that I feel we are better than other countries. Maybe I could have rephrased that. I cannot stand the politics in this country, cannot stand some of the history such as slavery, which is a great example. Coming from a military family, I was raised to be proud of who we are, what our family has accomplished. My one grandfather was a part of some great history in his own right during Normandy. It's how I was raised. And yes, indeed Canada is much cleaner than we are. Yes we are an obese country, n yes we do always have to butt in per se in other countries business, but for one it is asked, and two, it is usually for the greater good. Aside from our history, we have indeed made the world in some cases an even safer place. I understand our flaws, but I also understand the greatness that comes from America. And I am proud to be an American regardless of how other countries view us. I currently have family in Afghanistan and pray for their safe return. I do wish some things could be changed... But like
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reader, Chaddles +, writes (31 May 2011):
Well, I know I get the feeling of Australia being he best ever all the time. But if you go arou d telling everyone it is and you feel arrogant, remember this: Having an opinion is like having a penis. It's good to have one, it's good to be proud of it. But please, don't wave it around in public and try to force it on people. And keep it the he'll away from my children. I got that from somewhere and makes me laugh everytime. Hopefully it works for you too.
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reader, maverick494 +, writes (30 May 2011):
I just wanted to give a nod to Cerberus' answer. Good stuff.
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reader, anonymous, writes (30 May 2011): Hi
It's who you are as a person that decides arrogance, not where you come from. The world has Fxxxxx up in every corner since the begining of time and will continue to do so. Enjoy your country and don't label yourself as arrogant just because you are American. I have Irish roots and German and God their exist flaws in both their history aswell. Man should be more interested in all people but as usual we have devides.
spunky monkey
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reader, anonymous, writes (30 May 2011): No, I don't think it's arrogant in itself to say that you're home country is the best in the world. But, it is arrogant when you don't know what you're talking about.
You can say that you love your country, that is a subjective feeling and justifiable on your own personal beliefs.
To say that you're country is 'the best' you would need some objective standard, best at what? Highest gun related crimes in the world? Higher percentage of HIV infected citizens in Washington DC than in South Africa and Kenya? More homeless people than any other country in the world? Lowest average lifespan of any developed country?
I'm Swedish and have lived in over 10 different countries (including the US - I spent 2 years in North Carolina, one year in California and one year in New York). I can subjectively say that I love Sweden and I can objectively say that we are 'the best' at some things, but I would never go so far as to say that Sweden is the best country in the world - the reason I wouldn't say that is not because it's arrogant but because it's ignorant.
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reader, auntyR +, writes (30 May 2011):
you are just being very patriotic. Nothing wrong with that! people these days are far too PC and worried about upsetting others with their opinions. If you think your country is the best then good on you. I love that you support your armed forces, as my bf is in the army and i work at a military base in the UK. I actually think our armed forces and the USA forces are the best in the world. There's nothing wrong in thinking that at all. It's an opinion. If people don't like the way you think, then just tell them to jog on! Good for you!
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reader, chigirl +, writes (30 May 2011):
I've never met a Russian who told me Russia was the best country in the world. I've actually never met anyone from anywhere else but the USA that would be as stubborn, blind, and arrogant to declare that they are "God's chosen people and live in the Holy land".
Most Russians I know of loathe their government, think Russia sucks (unless they're wealthy) and have emigrated. In fact, Russia is on the top of countries in the world where the population flees the country. They have it better elsewhere. Yet, when asked, they love their country. But no Russian would claim to be "best".
So, where did the idea come from that the Russians are arrogant?
Americans carry a bad reputation for being arrogant, world wide. Saying the wrong thing, even if you aren't arrogant, can easily be misunderstood.
Let say if I joined this competition of "best country", Norway and Canada is listed by the UN as the top countries... I think I have a better chance at winning then than the USA. Yet, what people world wide seem to associate Norwegians with is that they spread their legs easily... haha! And do you think the Canadians are bragging about their country? I know a few, yet never heard them sounding arrogant. I'd say they are down to earth people.
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reader, anonymous, writes (30 May 2011): I am American, but both my parents were born in Europe. I personally see Europeans as very arrogant. Germany, Spain, England, Italy, Russia and even Japan (not European obviously) committed terrible atrocities around the globe, but because it's been a few years they think they have learned from them and are better people than we are now. Maybe. In my opinion, it hasn't been all that long and some of the Third World countries are just as bad. Look at Darfur. In general, I think the US has done a lot for the world - more than they get credit for and more than most countries in terms of spreading the ideas of freedom and democracy. I won't say that the US isn't hypocritical sometimes or that we don't exploit or consume more than our share of the world's resources. We do. My parents migrated to the US for a better life after WW II and they both think the US is the best country in the world - not without flaws, but with more freedoms and opportunity.All that said, yes I think you might be an arrogant American. Americans, by virtue of being so isolated geographically, tend to have a very limited worldview. How much of the world have you seen, OP? So many Americans make comparisons without really having been anywhere else. We are also very loud and brash about where we feel we stand in the world: USA #1 and all that. Most other countries, although patriotic, don't do that. They don't call their basketball champions the "World Champs" for example. Their athletes don't pout (as often) when they win silver medals. Being the best and winning (whatever that may mean) is sooo important to Americans. A little American humility might be in order more often.
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reader, anonymous, writes (30 May 2011): Depends.
I'm an american with a heavy german background which i am very proud of, even though we had hitler, who is probably one of the worst people in the world. I don't overlook this part in history, and I'm not proud of that particular part in history. I don't think germany is better than anywhere else.
As cerberus said, americans have done some horrible things, and we've only been around for about 200 years! Btw cerberus i love how you put sarah palin in one of the bad things america did! Lol! Totally agree!
If you choose to overlook these things, than yes, you are. But if you accept them, your not.
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reader, CaringGuy +, writes (30 May 2011):
Exactly, Cerberus.
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reader, anonymous, writes (30 May 2011): That depends OP, if you go around constantly reminding people of this and you're also proud of the horrible things that your people have done or excuse them then yes you're arrogant. The genocide of the natives, slavery, all the unjust wars your country has fought since WWII, the millions of people that have died in America's empire building, the military industrial complex, the obesity epidemic, the measles epidemic brought about by people opposed to vaccination, televangelism, the subjugation of South America through political assassination and funding right wing dictatorships that brutalize their own people, the massacring of millions of Muslims to steal their oil, the worst food safety standards of any Western country, the 3 strikes law which means you spend the rest of your life in jail for shoplifting or smoking a joint, a country where money is king and everyone has a price, where people who are unable to or can't find work are treated like subhumans, Fox news, Sarah Palin, the highest prison population in the world, one of the highest proportion of teenage mothers, rapes, murders per capita than any other western country, one of the lowest literacy rates of any country, a healthcare system which puts profit over peoples lives. The list goes on and on.
Now if you find offense in anything I say, if you can't accept that those are facts, not just my opinion or if you try and find a way of justifying any of that or making excuses for any of that then yes, you are a blind patriot. If you chose to ignore all these things and teary eyed at propaganda about the founding fathers and only ever focus on the good things about your country or like so many other Americans I've met actually turned the bad things into good things in your mind, then yeah that's kind of arrogant.
I love my country too, but I'm more than willing throw my hands up say we've been stupid and do crappy things. I will not just raise that flag tell everyone we're the best when we have so many flaws. No country is better than any other and no offence OP, but America has done and is doing some immensely horrible things to this world and to its own people. I mean I have friends living there and the whole country is disgusted when they see groups of Syrians or Iranians on the street celebrating the death of American soldiers in bombings and stuff, literally Americans get very angry when they see that kind of thing. But what happened when America went and killed Bin Laden? The exact same thing, they went to streets and celebrated the murder of another human being.
People only think Americans are arrogant because they refuse to believe what I said, or try and say it doesn't matter or go around telling people the Iraq war was necessary even though it wasn't WMD's anyone? You accept that your government lies to you about everything and you never challenge that, then the good things your government does, like try to introduce healthcare system that will give an impoverished child with cancer the ability to seek treatment is opposed vehemently under the auspices of that being "communist" and that child doesn't deserve treatment because his parents didn't work hard enough.
Every country has major flaws OP, no country is the "best" problem with Americans that think that way, is they seem uneducated because people just can't see how they can be proud of all those bad things.
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reader, CaringGuy +, writes (30 May 2011):
There is nothing wrong with believing your country is the greatest, so long as you can accept that it makes mistakes.
For example, I genuinely believe that Britain has a huge amount to offer the word, and I think that it has some great points that simply can't be matched by any other nation. But I can also humbly look around and say that we've made mistakes, and I can accept those.
If you believe that your country is the greatest, then you have to accept that it makes mistakes. If you can't, an you blindly believe that it's perfect and never makes mistakes, then that's arrogant.
From reading your post, I wouldn't say that you're arrogant at all. I'd say you're a normal person who respects those around you and those who protect you - you respect your military, and you seem to also accept that your government is capable of screwing up. Nothing wrong with that at all. If you'd come on here flag waving saying that your country was the best and your government kicked ass and you were perfect and had never made a mistake, then I'd say you were arrogant. But you didn't - you came her with a good reason to be proud, and you also said that you didn't always trust your government. So your view was balanced.
Also, the perception that America is arrogant only comes from the fact that America is the reigning superpower. Britain was seen as arrogant during the Empire. And I'd imagine the Romans were seen as arrogant when they conquered Europe back in 1AD. Given that China is going to have matched America's power within the next 20 years, how long until they're also seen as arrogant? Not long, I guess.
Arrogance is simply the blind belief that you do no wrong.
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reader, chigirl +, writes (30 May 2011):
Thinking your country is the best country in the world is arrogant, yes. Regardless of where you are from, anyone, from any country, would be arrogant for saying or thinking that. Such a thought includes ranking countries, grading them, based on no facts really, just personal opinion. It's like thinking you're better than anyone else. One thing is to love yourself, and love your country, thinking it is great and amazing, it's a bit different to think you're better than someone else.
It might be your wording that is incorrect here. If you don't mean to disrespect others, or don't look down on other countries, don't say you're "the best". Because being best implies others are not as good. Instead, say you are a patriot (as you are, even if not extreme), you love your country, and explain what it is you love about it.
Loving your country is quite normal. Us Norwegians are crazy about our country, proud of it, enjoy to tell others about it, the nature, the people, the funny foods, the places and cities, the history and so on, and all famous people who came from Norway, and inventions that were made by Norwegians. I think people from all countries of the world take pride in where they come from, and their history.
Just, don't say you're better than anyone else. Be respectful.
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