Americans down on America?

Most Americans live in a bubble and have not idea what the real world is like. It's almost unthinkable, that even with the problems we have here, how easy we have it compared to the rest of the world.

I chose the dream is dying, but in reality, I believe we are being robbed of the dream. Behind this decline in patriotism, confidence, and identity crisis, is our own government.

It is difficult to be confident about your country when it seems the powers that be are doing everything to discourage people. This can also lead to a decline in patriotism. I love our country and it's citizens, but our government is making life somewhere else more appealing.

Everyday, it seems like our freedoms are in jeopardy of being stripped. Little by little our own government is eating away at our liberties, and they are doing this under the guise of what is best for us and national security. I propose that if our government doesn't think we are capable of knowing what is best for ourselves, and that they have to rob of us of constitutional freedoms to protect us, then we are no longer a free nation.

I am not saying we are this way yet, but in five or ten years we may very well be.

Unfortunately as I have watched over the course of the last 20 years, we as a nation are slowly descending into an abyss that we may not be able to pull ourselves out of. Politically we have become so divided that neither side, left or right, seems to want to compromise for the good of the whole and we are left with the mess that we currently have. Somewhere along the way we lost the unity that we as a nation felt following 9/11 where it didn't matter if you were a Republican, a Democrat, conservative or liberal, we were one nation and we acted as one. Those on the left will (continuously) blame Bush-43 for our nation being where it is at financially today because of some of the lifting of certain restrictions on Wall Street and the financial industry, but they forget that a Democratic congress pushed through and passed legislation designed to put more people in houses that they couldn't afford to begin with that led to many of the underhanded practices that led to the housing collapse. Those on the right, blame the current occupant of the White House for the failures of foreign policy and immigration, but also forget that the policies of former occupants had a hand in the world looking as it does now because they have failed to out forth any solid plan to stop or curtail illegal immigration since the '80s and our veering into Iraq is partially responsible for the situation at hand today. Until we get a president that is willing to work with the opposition parties in charge of the Congress and vice-versa, we are looking at the decline of the United States as a power on the world stage. In some ways this may not be a bad thing, we shouldn't be the only country that everyone turns to fix their messes in their own backyards, and we shouldn't be the only country that continuously provides billions of dollars to assist and aid others, and then turn around and get told we do not do enough. We need to clean-up our own messes here, get back on solid footing economically and socially as a country and then play a smaller role on the world stage. We CAN be as great as we were, but first we must fix ourselves and then worry about what we can do for others in the world. Just the views of an "older" fart from the sidelines now.....

Our elected officials have forgotten who they serve. They have stopped respecting the citizens. As a result they are loosing the respect if the citizens. Sadly many, especially the young are not able to decern the differance between our politicians and our country, they lack the root structure we were raised with, if nothing changes I fear for our way of life within the next few generations.

I believe that our generation's view of the "American Dream" is dying. We seem to be losing the perception of "freedom isn't free" and IMHO that is because as some of my esteemed colleagues have noted, we are giving too many things away. Since people don't have to invest in America, it is morphing into a place to hang your hat with bennies. When some of our ancestors came here in the 1920 during the immigration rush, a good many started with 0 and had to work their way up, no one was holding up a sign offering 3 hots and a cot plus medical coverage. You struggled, you sacrificed and you earned the right to be an American. I look at this new immigration rush and shake my head and think, why are these countries all sending their poor tired huddled masses here 4 and 5 borders away from where they started? When you look at it, who's got the best deal in town in the long run?

We used to make things in this country. Good quality things that were worth what you paid for them, and worth fixing when they broke. This throwaway get it as cheap as you can from overseas economy is killing the American dream. Just inpateince on the part of the consumer and greed on the part of the suppliers. Make it cheap so they buy it, it breaks and they buy it again.

95% of places I have been there is a deep pride in the US. The places I have not been usually have a university in them.

The true greatness of this country isn't found in the government, or any of the institutions. Right now we're in a bit of a bind because we've forgotten that the true greatness that makes us exceptional is in the individualism and freedom that we have long enjoyed. When the people are free from the overbearing restrictions of the government and can unleash their creativity there is nothing we can accomplish, we've been part of the undefeated World War winning teams, we've freed many countries around the world, we've been to the moon, we've created many of the ideas and technologies that the world currently enjoys especially if you can read this since it's been published to the internet that we created. We just need to get out of the mindset that has said we're not exceptional and we're no better than anyone else, screw that, they can play their kicky ball game for a world cup, but there's still a lot more that we've done and will accomplish that will amaze the world in our future.

I believe in America and I always have. I was taught to have pride in my country and was shown first hand how important it is to serve in the armed forces. Without those of us who have put on the uniform, shinded and laced up our boots we would not have a country to call home. The dream is still alive, and while it may be close to life support according to some, those who serve today keep that dream alive by their actions and role modeling for others to hopefully someday emulate. So much for my .02.

Nationalism, or National Pride, is waning in our country because of just how diverse our country has become. You have 2nd and 3rd generation immigrant families from around the globe who will still fly that country's flag and cheer for the during international sporting events. As our country continues to be the world's destination for immigrants seeking a better life, this trend will continue.