Is anyone else not feeling that patriotic for July 4?

Submitted ⁨⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨yarr@feddit.nl⁩ to ⁨[deleted]⁩

I was talking to one of my friends and he mentioned staying home on July 4, citing how there are a lot of really ugly things going on in the US.

After thinking about this myself, I’m starting to feel the same way. Instead of being proud of the country, I’m feeling like I’m just another wallet that companies and the government are trying to suck all the money out of.

The cost of living is going up, the housing market is a nightmare, I don’t feel very confident in our government at all, the job market is a nightmare…

I think I’ll be staying home this year too… anyone else?

source

Comments

Sort:hotnew top

Allero@lemmy.today ⁨48⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago
State-level patriotism is always bullshit to begin with.

That’s how you’re tricked into loyalty based on the most arbitrary reasons.

Be the messenger of humanity and get curious about the Universe. People are brothers, and there’s no pride in being born in one plot of land over the other.

source
Treczoks@lemmy.world ⁨32⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago
4th of July? You mean the Ungrateful Colonists Insurgence Day?

source
NikkiDimes@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
As an immigrant to the US, I’ve always found the blind patriotism commonplace here to be very strange. It feels even more alienating now than ever before.

source
devolution@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I’ve never been more ashamed to be an American.

source
- ivanafterall@lemmy.world ⁨56⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago
  I’m a-shamed to be an A-merican, Where at least now I can’t see. And I won’t forget the libs who cried, who gave that right to me.
  
  source
squaresinger@lemmy.world ⁨41⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago

After thinking about this myself, I’m starting to feel the same way. Instead of being proud of the country, I’m feeling like I’m just another wallet that companies and the government are trying to suck all the money out of.

Always have been, always will be.

The cost of living is going up, the housing market is a nightmare

Don’t worry, once they deported or killed all the ~~Jews~~ illegals the prices will surely come down.

source
RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Flags have become a warning over the last decade or so about the person waving it. It no longer has the hope of a better America, solidarity, or welcome; it’s a symbol of a myopic, selfish, aggro, uneducated person full of performative nationalism and real hatreds.

Our independence was supposed to free the people of kings and tyrants. It’s been 249 years since 1776, we have undone what the Constitution authors fought for.

source
- squaresinger@lemmy.world ⁨38⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago
  
  Our independence was supposed to free the people of kings and tyrants. It’s been 249 years since 1776, we have undone what the Constitution authors fought for.
  
  That’s what happens if you stick with a quarter-millennium old prototype of a semi-democratic system.
  
  The constitution was revolutionary and ground-breaking, a quarter millennium ago. But still running that old piece of toilet paper as the basis of a democratic system in 2025 is like driving a Ford Model T today and claiming that it still is the latest and greatest automobile ever created.
  
  source
cley_faye@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I find it reassuring that some people are not proud of grabbing random people off the street to send them to their death with a smile.

source
Treczoks@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Call for independence from everything GOP and Trump on July 4th?

source
linrilang@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
Yeah… feels like the meaning behind the holiday has been completely lost. It’s hard to celebrate when so many people are struggling with basic things like housing and healthcare.

source
fodor@lemmy.zip ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Patriotism leads to nationalism and racism. Fuck patriotism.

source
- Saleh@feddit.org ⁨4⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Not necessarily. Problem is when patriotism is not defined positively through your countries achievments and striving for self improvement, but through negativity to other people.
  
  The US patriotism evidently revolves around the latter, so does most patriotism i have witnessed in European countries. I cant speak for so many other countries as i havent visited them enough.
  
  source
  - CXORA@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
    So do any countries exhibit what you call positive patriotism, or is this purely a theoretical objection?
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I haven’t felt patriotic for July 4 since I was a teenager. And I grow more aliented every year.

source
RadioFreeArabia@lemmy.cafe ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Obama was the last president that made me believe the US was trending towards progress. He proved to be a let down on many issues but I was still hopeful that the next president will be better. On many issues the country seemed to be heading in the right direction, there was even a plan for a national high speed rail network.

source
- reddit_sux@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
  He seems to be the pinnacle of US presidents. It has only been going down since him.
  
  source
EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
What, exactly, should I be proud of?

A nation that is moving backwards on human rights, increasing wealth inequality, and got really “mask off” about supporting genocide. A nation that is inherently dysfunctional and wreathed in corruption.

source
TrickDacy@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
What the fuck would I have to be proud of? The US has been on a downward trend for a long time and that’s accelerating

source
- VitoRobles@lemmy.today ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Yeah but before, we could eat BBQ and blow off fireworks and pretend like America is going to fix itself.
  
  Literally nobody I know is doing a cook out.
  
  We have some scheduled on July 12th.
  
  source
  - Jmsnwbrd@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    What’s July 12th?
    
    source
- yarr@feddit.nl ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  I hear you and I agree
  
  source
BassTurd@lemmy.world ⁨14⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Celebrating America hasn’t been something to be proud of since before 2001. We had a couple of high points during Obama, but nothing that tipped the scales.

I’m personally disgusted by this place, and anytime I see someone with an American flag anywhere on their person or property, I immediately assume they’re a conservative and I think lesser of them. I know that this isn’t a reality, but that is what the American flag means to me, and I assume quite a few others.

source
- HasturInYellow@lemmy.world ⁨12⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Absolutely like that for me. Or Christians. If I know you’re a Christian within 15 min of meeting you, we are not going to be friends.
  
  source
  - BassTurd@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    There a very few notably religious people that I associate with. I have a coworker that was a pastor for years and is still religious. He approaches it in the way I think it should be. We discuss religion as a theory, he doesn’t push or tell people what to believe. His belief is that God has his plans and that’s between him and each person. If every religious person lived like him, I’d have a lot less issue with it. I don’t agree with many of his other beliefs that are born from his religious background, but he’s not trying to impose them on anyone or prevent anyone from living their lives.
    
    Other than him, and even still sometimes him, I agree with you. It’s like a scarlet letter that was put on volunteerily to say, “hey, I’m a dick and my beliefs are correct and apply to everyone.”
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
- skisnow@lemmy.ca ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  The people who complain the loudest about disrespecting the flag are the same people who ruined it in the first place.
  
  source
  - Bytemeister@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Image
    
    Burning it in a discarded toilet next to a truck stop is less disrespectful than this.
    
    source
  - BassTurd@lemmy.world ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    If those people didn’t have hippcrasy, they’d have nothing… Well, they’d still have racism, bigotry, and a bunch of other shitty attributes I guess.
    
    source
shark_phenomenon@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Unless a large protest is happening in my city, I’m not planning to be outside on July 4.

source
- reddit_sux@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
  Plan it
  
  source
SpicyTaint@lemmy.world ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
It’s been decades since I’ve cared about the 4th as an actual holiday. Now it’s just a day that I don’t have to work.

source
- some_designer_dude@lemmy.world ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Good day to march on your White House, perhaps…
  
  source
  - yarr@feddit.nl ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    I thought about this too. In the past I used to go to protests because I felt that if our leaders saw the protest that they might change their mind about something.
    
    Now, so many of our citizens are so insane, they think you won’t actually protest unless George Soros pays you. I also can’t picture Trump seeing a protest and saying “I think I’ll reconsider…” It feels more futile than ever.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
SayJess@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I’ll be staying home this year. There is nothing to celebrate. At this point I’d rather watch it all burn down.

source
misteloct@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I still have hope, until I am forced to emigrate I won’t be giving up on us. This country at one point saved my ancestors from doom, I believe it can again. It’s actually the “America sucks” crowd we need the most. In the words of AOC: resist, make them make us.

source
Kolanaki@pawb.social ⁨9⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I’ve never felt patriotic. It’s not like I chose to be here and, frankly, the more I learned about the rest of the world, the more I dislike about my own home.

source
AceFuzzLord@lemmy.zip ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I haven’t been necessarily patriotic for a long time because why pledge allegiance to a single nation? The only reason I really care about July 4 is the fireworks. It’s more tradition than anything that I see them.

Anyways, both of his terms make me feel vindicated in not being patriotic in a country.

source
DearMoogle@lemmy.today ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I think that’s normal considering everything going on.

By the way, I live in the CA bay area. Interestingly I went grocery shopping today and no kidding -I felt like I was in a small town in the midwest or something. It was mostly older white people shopping, like you couldn’t help but notice. I told my bf, wtf are we in Idaho or something lol this doesn’t feel like the bay area?

I think there’s a combination of people being tired of increasing inflation and burnt out by the barrage of shit going on in the news. I don’t imagine minorities, particularly immigrant families are feeling very patriotic right now. Or people are straight up worried about ICE kidnappings. Which by the way, I heard from a neighbor that ICE has been walking into the hospital she works at and waiting outside to snatch people. Terrible…

source
AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I haven’t “celebrated” the fourth in nearly a decade for this reason. On top of that fireworks are pretty bad for everything and those with PTSD.

source
- Asafum@feddit.nl ⁨13⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  
  On top of that fireworks are pretty bad for everything and those with PTSD.
  
  My coworkers dog would thank you very much as well for not shooting off fireworks. He said he usually drives out of town for a few hours until it dies down because his dog gets terrified :(
  
  source
  - SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago
    And it’s not just pets either, wildlife also gets affected by firework
    
    source
  - AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    Yeah, forgot to mention pets. All of mine hate the fireworks, so it makes for a miserable time all around.
    
    source
ramenshaman@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Going to be spending the 4th building guillotines in my garage

source
- pineapplelover@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨7⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Can I help?
  
  source
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I’m kinda the opposite, but I have the same reasons. I love where I live, I just wish they’d do better and I do what I can to help. I don’t need to wave a flag, people can see where I stand by what I do. If that’s not patriotism I don’t know what is.

source
grue@lemmy.world ⁨10⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I’m surprised there aren’t massive protests scheduled for July 4.

source
- pineapplelover@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨7⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  I believe there are
  
  source
GrayBackgroundMusic@lemmy.zip ⁨13⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Havent felt proud to be an American in a long while. I’m proud of loving thy neighbor as myself, not lining the pockets of billionaires. I hate that I’m powerless to do much. Representative democracy? My ass. No one represents me. They’re all aristocrats. “it’s one banana, Michael. What could it cost, $10?”

I’m not bitter about it at all. /s

source
hperrin@lemmy.ca ⁨7⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
I’m very proud to be a Californian. I’m utterly embarrassed to be an American.

source
WanderWisley@lemmy.world ⁨11⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Same I will be working on the 4th so I’ll just be making good hoilday pay while most of my trump supporting coworkers will be celebrating the downfall of this country. Fuck this shit, fuck everyone who is onboard with the current situation of this country. Stay safe everyone.

source
Peter_Arbeitslos@feddit.org ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
Kinda interesting how you US-Americans have a certain day for being even more patriotic than the average US-patriotism rest of the time. As a German I personally haven’t felt patriotic at any point in my life and most of the people I know (probably more left-leaning than German average) always looked at your patriotism (espacially on July 4th) with a certain lack of understanding. Why even be patriotic? Why always raise the US-flag? Why are there Florida men running through hurricanes with an US-flag? And why celebrate your patriotism even more on a specific date, even as a more left-leaning person?

source
- yarr@feddit.nl ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  I mean, I’d think of it as like being proud of your home and the accomplishments of the country. That doesn’t seem very odd to me. It’s just that lately, I feel like as a nation we are just making so many mistakes and I feel ashamed, not proud of the country.
  
  I have no enthusiasm to raise the US flag this July 4th, excepting maybe showing it upside down as a sign of distress.
  
  When I think about the US and its future, I just get a sinking feeling and I don’t feel very happy about it. I’m ashamed how far this country has fallen in the past two decades.
  
  source
  - ohulancutash@feddit.uk ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    It hasn’t really fallen, it’s just saying the quiet part out loud for once.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
  - Peter_Arbeitslos@feddit.org ⁨14⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    
    proud of your home and the accomplishments of the country
    
    Don’t really understand that either. I could understand celebrating the date at which you got an united democracy, that’s certainly an accomplishment. Even that happend a quarter millennium ago, you (not even your grandmother) didn’t take part in it and nowadays there’s no British monarchy you can annoy by being a democracy, but celebrating democracy as a concept always is great. But you don’t do that. All what I see from the Atlantic Ocean’s other side is some people celebrating something which is written under “Nationality” in their passports. I personally can’t celebrate something as complex/indefinite as a country. I don’t think complex really is the best word for it, but what I mean is that countries never are only good and also “country” itself is a term so obscure and indefinite. The country existed for nearly 250 years, billions of people lived in it and some terrible stuff happend in and because of it. Wars and crimes and war crimes of leading personell, etc. Surely also some good stuff, but how to seperate that? You simply can’t. Is Ronald Reagan part of what you’re celebrating, is Donald Trump part of it? Is democracy part of it? Is some random 1800s-farmer part of it? Are people even part of it and if no why? Are the country’s borders part of it? Is the tree standing in your backyard part of it? You can’t ignore the killing of civilians in Vietnam war while including democracy or can you? What’s home? Is it your family? Your house? Both?
    
    One thing is for sure: You aren’t the country, you just live at some place on the world which happens to be territory of something named “USA”. Same for me, I have been born at some place which happens to be territory of something called “Germany”. Why should I be proud about the place where I were born? That’s no achievement, I didn’t even contribute to it. I’m proud that I managed to contribute to democracy by protesting and voting. I also felt proud about the A I got in some elementary school test. I’m really proud about switching from Windows to Arch Linux in less than 2 hours. I may some day feel proud for my children while watching them doing something great. I contributed to all of this more or less directly and I can feel proud about it for that reason. But why should I feel proud about a country? Germany is nothing I’m responsible for, the (current path of the) USA is nothing you are responsible for. If you were responsible for it, why shouldn’t I be too?
    
    We can’t feel proud about it, we can’t feel ashamed for it, because it isn’t our fault. However we can change the current situation. Changing the world, having the courage to try it, is something we can feel proud about.
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
- FlashyWierz@ttrpg.network ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  July 4th is the day our nation was founded which is what merits the fanfare. I would also say that the “displays of patriotism” you may see are largely cherry picked examples. Your typical american doesn’t wear american flag regalia, much less own an american flag and wave it around.
  
  Right now, the reason you are seeing such a pronounced amount of patriotism for Independence day, and I use that term loosely, is due to it being both the 250th anniversary and the current unpopular administration trying to project an alternate reality where they are in tune with the will of the people and establish legitimacy.
  
  There is a lot that can probably be said about the erosion of patriotism in the US as it was co-opted by conservative groups in order to push unpopular policies throughout our nations brief span of existence and it likely ties into the destruction of our education system, but I’d rather let someone more knowledgable tackle that topic.
  
  source
  - Peter_Arbeitslos@feddit.org ⁨13⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
    I deliberately exaggerated, but I dont’t understand patriotism in general (see comment under OPs response on my comment).
    
    source
    -> View More Comments
- HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  The USA has never had an event to make Americans from shame for the country. It isn’t like the USA hasn’t done shameful acts, but there hasn’t been a reconging of what the country has done.
  
  source
- allidoislietomyself@lemmy.world ⁨15⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago
  Most of us just like the day off from work, or the holiday pay if you have to work. and that’s where it ends.
  
  source

-> View More Comments