National Pride or Proud to be Free?
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Are you proud to come from where you come from?
Do you take pride in your national identity or do you wish you were born elsewhere, if so where and why?
For me I am proud to be British, not English (which for those of you who are aware is a subtle yet important diffrence) but British. I am proud to say that the Queen is my Sovereign, I am proud that our language is to be perfectly honest, the most widespread and diverse on the planet and I am proud that I was born British.
Yet I want to know what you think, and why it is or is not important to you?
Do you take pride in your national identity or do you wish you were born elsewhere, if so where and why?
For me I am proud to be British, not English (which for those of you who are aware is a subtle yet important diffrence) but British. I am proud to say that the Queen is my Sovereign, I am proud that our language is to be perfectly honest, the most widespread and diverse on the planet and I am proud that I was born British.
Yet I want to know what you think, and why it is or is not important to you?
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I was born in the United States and have no regrets. After all, where you're born is where you're born. And while you can change where you live, you can't really change where you come from. I still happen to live in the United States and while I'm not nationalistic or anything, I realize I'm pretty damn lucky to be living here and happy about it. Compared to many areas, the United States of America is pretty much a Godly country.
Had I been born and living in certain areas of Africa, I'd probably be dealing with one of the many diseases, starvation, hunger, poverty, or other problems that the country faces.
Had I been living in China, I may be an unlucky worker who works under bad conditions and receives very low wage just so that those in America and other foreign countries can have clothing and whatever products it is that they need.
Had I been born in the middle east I'd be likely to die before reaching the age of fifty, with the wars and all going on. And putting the War aside, there are still issues in the middle east that put others lives at risk.
I can go on and on, using different countries, but I won't. Point is, living in the United States is like a blessing, gift or whatever you want to call it. So yeah, I don't really take pride in the country that I live in, but I appreciate living here. Chances are, I'd probably be miserable or dead had I been born in many other countries.
And to answer the question completely, I don't think it's important for me to have pride in the US. One main reason and good enough reason is because I'm just one person, one person with no intention of making a difference on a national level. So my feelings of pride would simply be worthless and perhaps make me look arrogant. Maybe if I cared more about the country on a whole, rather than myself and those around me, I'd have a bit more pride. Sadly (I guess), I don't.
Had I been born and living in certain areas of Africa, I'd probably be dealing with one of the many diseases, starvation, hunger, poverty, or other problems that the country faces.
Had I been living in China, I may be an unlucky worker who works under bad conditions and receives very low wage just so that those in America and other foreign countries can have clothing and whatever products it is that they need.
Had I been born in the middle east I'd be likely to die before reaching the age of fifty, with the wars and all going on. And putting the War aside, there are still issues in the middle east that put others lives at risk.
I can go on and on, using different countries, but I won't. Point is, living in the United States is like a blessing, gift or whatever you want to call it. So yeah, I don't really take pride in the country that I live in, but I appreciate living here. Chances are, I'd probably be miserable or dead had I been born in many other countries.
And to answer the question completely, I don't think it's important for me to have pride in the US. One main reason and good enough reason is because I'm just one person, one person with no intention of making a difference on a national level. So my feelings of pride would simply be worthless and perhaps make me look arrogant. Maybe if I cared more about the country on a whole, rather than myself and those around me, I'd have a bit more pride. Sadly (I guess), I don't.
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I am quite proud to be an American. We are the lone super power in the world. We used to have the highest level of economic and personal liberty in the world but, politicians have caused that dream to die on the vine.
We (our founding fathers and the Continental army) were able to hold off the British Empire. Which consisted of (if I remember correctly) 1/3rd of the landmass of the world. Which was no small feat as we basically had militias and had to mold them into a standing army.
To my knowledge, America is considered the melting pot of the world which is another bonus point.No other country readily accepts immigrants (legal) and their culture.
Edit: Except apparently the British as well.
There is a plethora of reasons why I love my country and I am proud of being an American. Though there are plenty of reasons why I would hide it in foreign countries. I blame politicians, not the country for our bad reputation.
We (our founding fathers and the Continental army) were able to hold off the British Empire. Which consisted of (if I remember correctly) 1/3rd of the landmass of the world. Which was no small feat as we basically had militias and had to mold them into a standing army.
To my knowledge, America is considered the melting pot of the world which is another bonus point.No other country readily accepts immigrants (legal) and their culture.
Edit: Except apparently the British as well.
There is a plethora of reasons why I love my country and I am proud of being an American. Though there are plenty of reasons why I would hide it in foreign countries. I blame politicians, not the country for our bad reputation.
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Fiery_penguin_of_doom wrote...
To my knowledge, America is considered the melting pot of the world which is another bonus point. No other country readily accepts immigrants (legal) and their culture. Although I am glad you are proud of your country may I interject that the British also readily accept immigrants and cultures too (and for some strange reason we even pay them benefits to look for jobs and give them free housing, Although it is quite debatable as to why tbh)otherwise your damn right you foiled our 'nation'
*grumbles*
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Ranguvar wrote...
Fiery_penguin_of_doom wrote...
To my knowledge, America is considered the melting pot of the world which is another bonus point. No other country readily accepts immigrants (legal) and their culture. Although I am glad you are proud of your country may I interject that the British also readily accept immigrants and cultures too (and for some strange reason we even pay them benefits to look for jobs and give them free housing, Although it is quite debatable as to why tbh)otherwise your damn right you foiled our 'nation'
*grumbles*
I had never heard of any immigration comments in regards to the British. Other than you stopped accepting radical Muslim clerics into your country due to some of the horrific comments and demands they have made in public.
Anyways, comment has been noted.
Look on the bright side. You guys gave the world Monty Python..both the good and the bad.
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I don't have much pride.
I was born in the United States, and where your born seems to have everything in the world with who you become and where you want to live, but the problem is I was only born here. For the first year of my life I lived in the US, but years 2-4 I lived in Scottland. While I have essentially no memories except for a couch and some sheep, there is probably a lot of subconscious thoughts I gained from my peaceful life up there. Nobody locks their doors and my parents could let me out of the house at that age without any worries.
Years 5-8 I lived in Japan. This is where you learn a lot about how you should be as a person by observing other people. While people did view me strangely because I was white, I learned a cultural love of the land and I hope once I graduate I can return there, despite the racism I hear about.
Once I returned to the US at the age of 9 my life went into a loophole. All of a sudden, all of my classmates became complete assholes. I was introduced to my first bullies but I never even knew it until I was probably about 12. I was just passive and thought of everyone as friendly that I never knew everyone was mocking me. All of my friends were girls until about 13 years old when they suddenly changed from just being girls and started becoming gossip mongering boy-craze psychotics. At that point, I didn't really know where I belonged and just became a hermit in MMO's until college.
So ya, you can say, Oh Veldron you only hate the US because the people, you don't necessarily hate the country itself. To that, I say fuck that. If I can't enjoy my time with the people I'm with, why should I like to be here. Sure there are some good characters, but the morals over here are horrendous. I've lived almost half my life out of the country, and little over half my life in the country, and had a extended experience of being back in Japan as an adult with a more logical perspective and I can honestly say I could care less about the US.
I think the number 1 problem with the US is just that everyone is spoiled. A lot of people say they are lucky to be born here because if they were born in some place like Africa they would probably die at the age of 30, but people in Africa have the ability to genuinely enjoy the company of others and the little things in life. In Japan, if you woke up at 2 AM in the morning, your toilet was made of ice. Here, if your internet is down for 15 minutes its time to go berserk.
I was born in the United States, and where your born seems to have everything in the world with who you become and where you want to live, but the problem is I was only born here. For the first year of my life I lived in the US, but years 2-4 I lived in Scottland. While I have essentially no memories except for a couch and some sheep, there is probably a lot of subconscious thoughts I gained from my peaceful life up there. Nobody locks their doors and my parents could let me out of the house at that age without any worries.
Years 5-8 I lived in Japan. This is where you learn a lot about how you should be as a person by observing other people. While people did view me strangely because I was white, I learned a cultural love of the land and I hope once I graduate I can return there, despite the racism I hear about.
Once I returned to the US at the age of 9 my life went into a loophole. All of a sudden, all of my classmates became complete assholes. I was introduced to my first bullies but I never even knew it until I was probably about 12. I was just passive and thought of everyone as friendly that I never knew everyone was mocking me. All of my friends were girls until about 13 years old when they suddenly changed from just being girls and started becoming gossip mongering boy-craze psychotics. At that point, I didn't really know where I belonged and just became a hermit in MMO's until college.
So ya, you can say, Oh Veldron you only hate the US because the people, you don't necessarily hate the country itself. To that, I say fuck that. If I can't enjoy my time with the people I'm with, why should I like to be here. Sure there are some good characters, but the morals over here are horrendous. I've lived almost half my life out of the country, and little over half my life in the country, and had a extended experience of being back in Japan as an adult with a more logical perspective and I can honestly say I could care less about the US.
I think the number 1 problem with the US is just that everyone is spoiled. A lot of people say they are lucky to be born here because if they were born in some place like Africa they would probably die at the age of 30, but people in Africa have the ability to genuinely enjoy the company of others and the little things in life. In Japan, if you woke up at 2 AM in the morning, your toilet was made of ice. Here, if your internet is down for 15 minutes its time to go berserk.
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This video sums up the basics of my opinion on this matter. Once again, George Carlin is the answer.
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I hate America
Sure its the "Melting Pot" sure its a Super Power, but, its also one of the biggest breading grounds for stupidity and ignorance. Sure there are places were people are brainwashed but thats selected ignorance, we Americans seem to want to be ignorant, want to be washed away by the latest trend, washed away with our jobs, taking less time to do what you want to do.
In a way V For Vendetta did sum up why America is starting to fall, "Godlessness." I don't believe in any religion because man in flawed ergo religion is flawed. But people in America are so focused on themselves and not others its sick.
I'd have a hell of alot more to rant about but im feeling very sleepy .... too tired.... to ... write....
Sure its the "Melting Pot" sure its a Super Power, but, its also one of the biggest breading grounds for stupidity and ignorance. Sure there are places were people are brainwashed but thats selected ignorance, we Americans seem to want to be ignorant, want to be washed away by the latest trend, washed away with our jobs, taking less time to do what you want to do.
In a way V For Vendetta did sum up why America is starting to fall, "Godlessness." I don't believe in any religion because man in flawed ergo religion is flawed. But people in America are so focused on themselves and not others its sick.
I'd have a hell of alot more to rant about but im feeling very sleepy .... too tired.... to ... write....
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Sobutai wrote...
In a way V For Vendetta did sum up why America is starting to fall, "Godlessness."
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I'm proud that I was born in America, but that's because, as HE said, if I was born somewhere else, I may not have had such a good life. Even though I've suffered through a lot in my life, it could have been worse. I could be dead right now. And sure, I could perhaps have had a better life if I had been born in a different country, but I prefer to be positive. I got the middle ground, and I'm just glad that I wasn't stuck on the lowest level.
But I have no pride as an American citizen. I have no reason to be proud. I didn't do anything to make America what it is today, good or bad. I'm just a lowly citizen. I'm proud to have been born here, but I don't claim to be a part of what makes America what it is. When the Fourth of July comes along, I can't say, "Yes, I am a part of that." But that goes for any country; if I had been born in France, I couldn't feel proud on France's independence day. That's just the way I look at things, I suppose.
That said, I don't hate America. I dislike some of its citizens, but I dislike citizens of every country on Earth. There are stupid people - intolerant people, arrogant people, insufferable people - everywhere. Same goes for corrupt officials and greedy governments. No country is exclusive when it comes to sin. (Metaphorically, not religiously.)
But I have no pride as an American citizen. I have no reason to be proud. I didn't do anything to make America what it is today, good or bad. I'm just a lowly citizen. I'm proud to have been born here, but I don't claim to be a part of what makes America what it is. When the Fourth of July comes along, I can't say, "Yes, I am a part of that." But that goes for any country; if I had been born in France, I couldn't feel proud on France's independence day. That's just the way I look at things, I suppose.
That said, I don't hate America. I dislike some of its citizens, but I dislike citizens of every country on Earth. There are stupid people - intolerant people, arrogant people, insufferable people - everywhere. Same goes for corrupt officials and greedy governments. No country is exclusive when it comes to sin. (Metaphorically, not religiously.)
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Sobutai wrote...
I hate AmericaSure its the "Melting Pot" sure its a Super Power, but, its also one of the biggest breading grounds for stupidity and ignorance. Sure there are places were people are brainwashed but thats selected ignorance, we Americans seem to want to be ignorant, want to be washed away by the latest trend, washed away with our jobs, taking less time to do what you want to do.
In a way V For Vendetta did sum up why America is starting to fall, "Godlessness." I don't believe in any religion because man in flawed ergo religion is flawed. But people in America are so focused on themselves and not others its sick.
I'd have a hell of alot more to rant about but im feeling very sleepy .... too tired.... to ... write....
Lul wut?
Yea V for Vendetta is not about how fucked America is, thats Watchmen. V for Vendetta is about how britian is godless.
Anywho. Hell yea I'm proud. I do what I love and I don't get my head chopped off for smoking mj. Some end up in prision by I got
A mjcard in Maryland. That no easy task. I also enjoy just chillin and being free.
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My country is a piece of land. I don't care about people origins... they're just people afterall. So it's not that I'm not proud from where I come from, I just believe the you should pride yourself from where you came from. I am a weirdo afterall..
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Sobutai wrote...
I hate AmericaSure its the "Melting Pot" sure its a Super Power, but, its also one of the biggest breading grounds for stupidity and ignorance. Sure there are places were people are brainwashed but thats selected ignorance, we Americans seem to want to be ignorant, want to be washed away by the latest trend, washed away with our jobs, taking less time to do what you want to do.
Yes but in america we have the power to change our country. So if you think everyone is ignorant and it really bothers you, you have the power to change that.
There are other countries with just as much freedom, but I think the best thing about america is we embrace competition for the betterment (yes better-ment) of everyone. A man is entitled to the fruits of his labor in USA.
Yah there are lazy peoples, but there are people that work hard and enjoy life too. Think we don't enjoy life? Watch an episode of America's funniest home videos and you'll see we enjoy life.
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Monkeyskull wrote...
This video sums up the basics of my opinion on this matter. Once again, George Carlin is the answer.
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Don't really care about my nationality. One of the reasons is that I disagree with the German politics, system and about everything they do about education. For those who understand German, I can provide a little link here: http://www.zdf.de/ZDFmediathek/content/744400?inPopup=true
To be honest, I don't really understand the concept of "being proud of your country". It might be a bit extreme, but to be honest, I got my own achievements to be proud of, I don't need to grasp for some supplement reasons, because in the end, a country is merely a group of individuals within a certain area, being members of the society (no matter if they like it or not), thus the achievements of the country are mostly achievements by certain individuals, thus not my own, so I can't feel pride about them.
To be honest, I don't really understand the concept of "being proud of your country". It might be a bit extreme, but to be honest, I got my own achievements to be proud of, I don't need to grasp for some supplement reasons, because in the end, a country is merely a group of individuals within a certain area, being members of the society (no matter if they like it or not), thus the achievements of the country are mostly achievements by certain individuals, thus not my own, so I can't feel pride about them.
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Monkeyskull wrote...
Spoiler:
If you wouldn't have posted that, then I would, so thanks for doing it for me.
So yea, I was born in russia, and I'm not proud nor am I that happy being a russian, even though I was born there and had some good childhood memories there, my happiness being russian doesn't go further than that. I am however, happy being an american.
Having pride in what other people have accomplished, fucking ridiculous.
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Eranikum wrote...
I don't really understand the concept of "being proud of your country". It might be a bit extreme, but to be honest, I got my own achievements to be proud of, I don't need to grasp for some supplement reasons, because in the end, a country is merely a group of individuals within a certain area, being members of the society (no matter if they like it or not), thus the achievements of the country are mostly achievements by certain individuals, thus not my own, so I can't feel pride about them.That is a very good point I think. Yet to me it is worth mentioning that while it is very difficult for us to percive the influence of non celebrities in our highly media driven world, we can make a diffrence every day just by being who we are. I am proud to be British because I feel that I come from a country were free speech is very important, and a country were we are ruled not by fear but by debate, compromise and morality.
I understand that most people here feel let down by their countries, even I do sometimes, but for me it is important to note that pride does not mean ignorant, even if its having the pride to check your apperance before walking out the front door, ppride whether in a nation or an individual, is very important indeed.