Is it wrong to be "proud to be an American"?

Climate change, yes, it has happened a lot since the Earth is around 4.7 billion years old, there's no denying that. But, can humans honestly gather together to make a big enough difference to impact the planet in such a way to make a difference?

It's not wrong to be proud of America. America is truly great no matter how much people whine about it when something doesn't go their way. For a large country, there is no other country that are as free as we are. We are a country founded by rebels who broke of from a monarchy because they wanted freedom. We are one of the few countries that was founded on great principles.
America is not perfect, but it's about as close as any country has ever gotten. God bless America!!!

"For a large country, there is no other country that are as free as we are."

@FAST6191 I'm not sure if you are just being funny or if you are using a comedy routine as an argument that America is not as free as other countries.
America has extreme free speech and gun rights. America also allows you to have assisted suicide, be a prostitute, or do certain drugs (pot) in certain states. America also offers more economic freedom than most large countries and was founded on protecting individual freedoms.
I'm not dumping on other countries though. Many of them are great and are better than America in some ways. They just aren't as free.

@the_randomizer climate scientists clearly are convinced we are, and have the studies and statistics to back it up. Plus, I think you're severely underestimating the magnitude of the combined effect that deforestation and mass carbon emissions introduced since the early 20th century have had on our ecosystem as a whole

Plus, believe it or not, this isn't the first time this has happened; Ghengis Kahn actually affected the global climate for the better (literally the only positive thing I'm aware of that he did) when he took his mass-slaughter campaign across Europe; since the Mongols both a) killed everyone that wouldn't assimilate on sight and b) planted trees fucking everywhere they went, they actually single-handedly measurably affected the climate... to the point where evidence suggests they literally brought Asia out of a massive drought because rainfall significantly increased

@Totalinsanity4 lol

I'm from Scotland and I've been to USA a couple of Times, also worked with US forces in Iraq/Afghanistan and Kosovo and to be honest, nearly every US person I have met has been friendly and Kind and easy to get on with. I'm not saying you don't have your nutters and anti-social yobs, every country does. But on the whole - Americans and America is a great place with great people, so you should be proud of your country as it's given so much to the world already with technology and no doubt WW2 might have been a different story without you guys helping to defeat the Nazi scum!

@the_randomizer We are so reliant on gas economies will crash if we stop using it. Consumerism contributes to global warming but also benefits economies and keeps things running. And I don't think anyone will stop buying their materialistic things anytime soon. It seems we are past too late that even reducing emissions wont work.

Nano technology maybe can be used to repair the ozone layer in the future.

America is cool. Be proud from whence you came. Even if we have a stale cheeto for a president, you can't disagree that America is a nice place to be. At least nicer than North Korea.

oh fucking gringo
jk
it's not wrong, people always should be proud to be something or do something idk, if you like your country and you're proud of live on it that's good, if you're proud of yourself because you did something good, ya know

@tatripp The law is freedom yes, but it isn't actually the case. Opening your mouth in the 'wrong' way can get you in serious trouble with the government.

The only thing wrong with your rant is your incorrect use of the word proud. Proud, by definition is feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own achievements, qualities, or possessions or those of someone with whom one is closely associated. You're proud to be an American? So how hard did you have to work to be born in the USA? You're proud of the Military? So do you have family or close friends serving? What exactly is the energy and liveliness that's distinctly American? The history of America has been the history of people coming from all over the world to create what we now call America. It has flourished because of it's diversity and it is indeed a great place to live. So i'm not knocking America by any means. But people need to stop using the word proud where it doesn't apply. "I'm proud to be (insert race,gender, nationality or any other trait of which you have no control over)". It's like saying "I'm proud that it rained today". You could however say you're proud of your parents for teaching you the difference between right and wrong. Or, I'm proud of my degree in chemical engineering. I'm proud to be honest, respectful of others, disciplined etc. You get the point. Rant over.

I just got back from visiting family in Dominican Republic. Never think it is shameful to be an American because there are plenty of shittier countries out there who would love to be the United States, as much as foreigners shit on it online. There's a reason the USA is a super power.

@Pluupy Nah, were are fine here. Who needs school shootings anyway?

@Pluupy Luckily, we're not a super power. Russia could wipe us off the map. (Especially since Russia + China + NK are all sudoallies)

If we were a superpower, we wouldn't have had 156 mass shootings in about THAT many days, and we wouldn't have an insane amount of anything-thats-not-like-me-phobic asshats.

Seriously though some of you should just stick to video games. It's hilarious to watch you pretend how "woke" you are. Every country has it's flaws but you can still be proud of it.

Most bad stuff about America is over exaggerated anyways. If people want to live in constant fear and not enjoy life that's their problem. And if they want to rationalize and make excuses why they think like that let them.

Let them depress themselves and then later on complain about there's too much negativity. Let them think that America is some kind war zone with cops and school shooters killing everyone. If they want to be unrealistically neurotic about it then go ahead. Maybe they should shut off the internet and get some sunshine. Enjoy the day for once. News is not doing you any good.

@DrGreed I don't really agree with that statement, and it is not about how good or bad or whatever a "country" has done. I just don't agree with the concept of country as something one can be proud about, the sense of belonging to a country is too fabricated and flimsy to me.

A country, seen as a state, is just a big government and economic system with a set of rules that may work well, and that is cool. But all I can say to that is "hurrah! it works!"... a country is just too big, for me there is a disconnect there, I would be glad it works well, but I can't feel proud about it, I am far too removed from this big chunk of several millions of people.

Perhaps I am too much of a hippy, I don't know. In my eyes you can be proud of your neighborhood, or of your town perhaps, of your university and the people that you met there... that is you can be proud of your community in a small scale (perhaps some hundreds of people?), there you can still say for true that you belong... But a country? No, that's too big for me to actually really feel pride or real belonging.

You will only be proud when I say so!

Greetings

Uncle Sam