Good and Bad Americans

Glen D has a post on being a bad American. Some of the thoughts in there make a lot of sense, and some don't. I've never been in the military, like Glen D, and wouldn't have chosen to risk having my nuts blown off in any of the American wars except the Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War and WWII. The rest were not so much in the national interest as I see it. To risk your nuts is to make you a bit defensive about what you're risking them for. I can understand and respect that even if I don't much agree with that viewpoint.

Both my parents give me the anti-American tag from time to time because our government, especially the disastrous current version, is so disappointing and I can't shrug that off as easily as some others. When things are so horrible, it is almost pointless to criticize. When something is essentially good and could be even better, that draws out more criticism. I'm hard on the CNMI government because this place could be so much better than it is, and it's still pretty good in spite of the piss poor leadership. The same could be said of the states.

As for the states, I don't like George W. Bush, that's for God damn sure. You'd really have to suspend critical thinking and just be one of those root for the home team types to still be with Captain Dipshit. I'm a big fan of the American ideals the founders drew up 200 plus years ago. I'm not so big on the debt ridden, fear pumping, fast food eating, anti-intellectual monstrosity it has become.

I'm a fan of traditional American culture like blues, jazz and rock, NFL and MLB, as well as stand up comedy, but I'm not such a fan of reality television, Britney Spears and that ilk, people who think the jury is out on evolution and busybodies who spend their time worrying what other people do in the privacy of their own home sexually.

I'm not such a fan of the health care system. Yes, it has the most upside if you're very rich, but it shuts you down pretty good if you're not. People look to throw out that scary word socialism. We have a socialist government, but instead of providing socialist services to the people, we pump the money to friendly corporations and put it all on the national credit card. How gutless. It's a good scam if you can pull it off.

To be critical of these things is hardly anti-American. America is big and powerful enough to handle criticism.