Submitted 2 weeks ago by Patnou@lemmy.world to [deleted]
Nationalism tells you your nation is what to be proud of, but that’s dangerous and manipulative.
Instead, focus on the people. You can be proud of the people who are protesting, people who are running secret grocery runs for people hiding from ICE, people promoting progressive or scientific thought in threatened educational spaces, and so on.
There are still plenty of us left in the US, some against our will, and you can still be proud of them for still trying when so many others have given up.
This is true wisdom.
There are several websites about current good news, some of which is happening in this country right now.
In October 2025, following pressure from United States Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered cities across the state to remove LGBTQ+ Pride crosswalks and other road markings that “advance political agendas” and “ideologies.”
Abbott cited safety concerns and violation of state and federal guidelines as reasons to invoke the measure, which required cities to comply within 30 days or risk losing transportation funding.
…
But, in the meantime, the new, colorful sidewalks do not violate any local regulations, and Kaur and McKee-Rodriguez hope they signal an ongoing commitment to LGBTQ+ Pride in San Antonio.
When the Idaho legislature banned Pride flags on public property to punish the City of Boise for flying one at city hall, the mayor and city council adopted the Pride flag as the official city flag. Best part, city hall is two blocks away from the state capitol building, so the bigoted fucks get a nice view of it when they’re at work 😊
This is actually one I didn’t know about. A small gesture, but a pleasant one. Of course the only story that made the front page was the one that sparked outrage when it was originally removed.
Hi. Random straight guy here.
looks at picture
…not sure why anyone would have an issue with this.
I’m more confused/concerned why there’s a series of traffic cones turning a 2 lane road into a 1 lane road without any obvious reason why.
Also, holy shit! That’s a lot of random solar panels! Someone call that phone number, and ask them what they power.
Cones might have something to do with those tents on the right. Might be an event at a venue.
The old design has the rainbow across the crosswalk, which actually does go against traffic safety standards, so the reason for it gaining the attention to get removed may not have been valid, but the actual removal reason was. And to show faith, they just redesigned it to meet standards. Here’s the original design:
The reason for the cones is just out of frame at the top.
I was not expecting a literal rainbow road.
Wow, that flew under the radar. An entire city that has solved poverty, crime, health issues and homelessness to the extent they can spend time and money on this performative bullshit.
Why oh why does their website only allow one line for headlines. There is no way to scroll to see what is there since all you can read are 3 words.
The only difference between now and what it used to be is that the mask has been taken off of US politics. Who you see in Trump and the entire Republican administration is who this country has always been. Regardless of whether it’s Democrat or Republicans, they’ve always been war hungry, serving only the CEOs bankers and Wall Street while tossing us occasional table scraps, so we didn’t get too loud in our grumbling.
The only effort that Democrats have put in is trying to put that mask back onto US politics and back to business as usual. Once the mass comes off it can’t be put back on
“It was real. I’d seen it. I’d seen it in reality.” • The mask of humanity fall from capital. It has to take it off to kill everyone – everything you love; all the hope and tenderness in the world. It has to take it off, just for one second. To do the deed." And then you see it. As it strangles and beats your friends to death… the sweetest, most courageous people in the world." “You see the fear and power in its eyes. Then you know. That the bourgeois are not human.”
That’s not entirely true. We had a brief period after WWII until the 70s when the middle class actually existed, the rich were taxed at 91%, and unions had leverage. This has eroded quickly since the dawn of neoliberalism.
Not a historian, but wasn’t that boom hugely from war profiteering and the fact that none of the bombs went off in the USA? Our factories were all spun up and ready to go while most of Europe was rebuilding. Oh, and the decimation of German and Japanese industrial or technical powers.
But to your point, many graphs showing how much wages have flattened disproportionate to production do show that the period in question was a better time for the average worker.
Middle class does not exist, that’s a tool of the oligarchy to divide the working class into subsections, to give those higher up someone to look down upon. It reinforces individual over collective
MLK jr and the civil rights movement are just as much a part of America as Jim Crow and slavery. ICE is America but so is every protester fighting it. Lincoln is America. The KKK is America. Trump is America. Luigi is America.
The thing about people is we like to make things simple and put things in a box, and not have exceptions. But that’s almost never true, and the US is a land of contradictions. We’re very good people, and we’re very bad people.
So yeah, it’s going down the drain, but it’s always been going down the drain. It’s also going to get better, and it always has, little by little. Hopefully we can weather this storm and rebuild.
This has always been my point when people say “back in the good ol days” or “Make America great again” or any other nonsense about how it used to be better… this is pretty much the best it has ever been! Even with the dipshit in office at the moment, it has pretty much always been greedy dipshits in control… we are raising the best generation to date in terms of nutrition being provided, the most inclusive in terms of race/gender/sexual preference… all we can do is hope we continue to make gradual improvement. People have always sucked. The elite have always raped and pillaged the poor… but there is less of that now than any time in history… slavery and depravity have been a part of history since we started recording history. I just cross my fingers and try to enlighten the young in my field of influence to be good humans and hope that some day we might not be as horrible as we have always been.
Idk we’re back sliding a lot right now. Overturning row v and well, the rest of what is going on. I just hope we can move forward sometime and soon
This is a great take and I’m glad to read it! Thank you!
I like how you make your point, but the soft power of the US is over. As pointed out by others, the current administration is a sympthom, not an aberration.
US may have military primacy and the reserve currency, but neither can restore the loss of the appeal it had between post-ww2 and 2020. When tourists get deported after months of incarceration and we see videos of masked federal goons shooting people in the face, that is something else. When allying with the US gets you humiliation, threats, or even missle and drone attacks, that just does not seems like the smart move. So, respectfully, with friends like the US who needs enemies?
Wishing you best of luck getting your country back tough.
When I say things will get better, I’m hoping that’s for the people of America and the world, not the US government having soft power. I personally don’t want the US to be a super power anymore.
I think it’s easier to find success stories if you ask this question about your town than your country.
A few weeks ago I took my kid to a parking lot by a park so he could practice biking, and when we got there there were nearly a dozen kids biking, and a band was playing etherial middle eastern music next to us to a crowd as the full moon hung over a lake draped in light of the setting sun.
It was gorgeous, and free, both financially and in spirit. It was a beautiful appreciation of people and art from across the world. I thought for a moment that it was a picture of what I’d like America to one day be, then realized that I was in America, and it was already a picture of what America IS. It’s unfortunate that America is also many terrible other things. But America is also this. And that spirit is what brought these musicians or their parents to America, and eventually to that parking lot by the lake under the full moon.
This scene could be the opening paragraphs for a new Stephen King novel.
Yeah, and the next scene is where a bunch of obese federal goons climb out of their unmarked suvs to kidnap a few brownish kids and shoot some of the parents in the face.
No, wait those things did actually happen.
I was recently at a Maya city on a tour. The Maya gave up on their cities and the citizens abandoned them. It makes me wonder if that can happen here, the abandonment of the ruling class.
There are more Maya now than there were at contact.
Hell yeah! America is now the number one exporter in highly qualified workers!
It’s promoting Europe and the rest of the world to come closer together with new treaties and trade. It’s a positive move in the next phase of global relations.
They better figure defense out too, China isn’t building a massive military for nothing
China spends 1.7% of their GDP on the military, half the percentage of the US and less than that of the EU.
The protests in Oregon and Minnesota show that we are still America despite the MAGA separatists attempt to destroy us. And although this current chapter sucks hardcore, we now see our neighbors and “friends” for what they really are.
The separatists really thought they could just steamroll us. But, it didn’t go according to plan. We also scare the whole cabinet enough that they are living on military bases because they literally fear for their lives.
MAGA is eating itself alive which is the only outcome of a movement based entirely on hatred and destruction. So, we are showing our resolve. That’s the undercurrent that shows we still have some good left in us.
wait till november before doing a victory lap
This is pretty big. It’s better to know your enemy than have them lurking in the shadows. They are loud and proud right now and we won’t forget that shit in 3 years.
Focus on midterms, my friend.
Don’t think about 3 years. Think about 6 months.
The pessimist in me says the same thing that happened for many Confederates and Nazis: Forgiven and allowed to return into the folds of society, to fuck over humanity again.
I would like to be wrong. It is my desire to see them overflowing baskets and filling cardboard caskets.
This is my hope, we understand them better than they understand us. And if civil war broke out the anti vaxers will learn what has killed the most soldiers throughout all history.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is legitimately the best in the world and other first world countries wish they treated disabled people as well as America
other countries wish they treated disabled people as well as America
Sorry to be a downer - the ADA itself is very good, but it’s not the only factor in determining quality of life for a disabled person. I’m disabled and my country’s equivalent of the ADA is about 90% as strong, but access to disability benefits (i.e., money) is much much stronger in my country than it is in the US. I used to be pretty active in disability forums, the whole benefits system in the US sounds fucking nightmarish for disabled people.
From my personal experience, Finland supports people with disabilities much better, in part because the entire system is better. There’s public transportation everywhere here for one thing.
I can also go back to university here because it’s free.
That’s not possible for someone with disabilities in the USA.
Why not? Universities are also required to be ada compliant. It’s not retroactive, so older infrastructure is always an issue, but modern facilities should be fully accessible.
If you mean disabled should go for free, why? Some disabled are advantaged and some not. My state is one of those offering free public university based on economic need, a much better choice.
But yes, it’s by state, and most do not
Finns pay up to 57% income taxes and a 25% VAT. They also don’t waste that money on a bloated military.
You really don’t realize how much had been done to support people who have difficulties walking, hearing, etc. until you travel in Europe or Asia with someone who needs assistance. Walkable cities are great if you can walk, but you don’t notice the lack of wheelchair ramps unless you need them yourself or are traveling with someone who needs them.
As an American, the ADA is definitely something to be proud of.
Those things are easier to implement when all your buildings aren’t over 150 years old though.
This is a joke, right? Like… Where’s the /s?
I know “America Bad” is popular on the Internet but it’s not always true. The ADA was among the first laws worldwide to treat disability rights as full civil rights across nearly all areas of public life, including employment, private businesses, public spaces, and transportation, and it went on to inspire other countries to pass similar sweeping laws. Also worth noting it was signed into law by a Republican weirdly enough. Not sure that would happen today.
If you want to say that the broader social safety net including healthcare in America sucks though, and by extension harms disabled people, I can’t really argue with that. But the ADA is excellent and groundbreaking.
You should be proud to be human.
Not to be born within some imaginary line drawn on a map, in an area that later got “cleaned” as much as possible of everyone else not speaking the same language or worshipping the same god.
Pride comes with accomplishment.
Being human, being American, being male, being white, these are all accidents of birth. There’s no reason to take pride in any of it.
Bring born in to a disaffected class of people, being gay, or a person of color, and overcoming that adversity to any measure of success, that merits some pride.
But just being human? Anybody can do that.
I understand but I think we call pride also the sense of belonging to a chain of individuals that achieved growth of knowledge, rights, scientific discoveries and engineering results.
It is a meaning of the word that would easily lend itself to manipulation but also one that allowed individuals to contribute and to stand on the shoulders of giants.
In that sense, the highest level one would easily be being human.
Being American isn’t necessarily an accident of birth.
I’m German and I don’t think that it’s particularly healthy to be proud of the country you’re from. It’s basically the belief that your own traditions, language and land are better than that of others. Like I get calling a place home, but so many places in Germany are as foreign to me as places in other countries. Maybe more familiar, but familiarity isn’t the same as something being good.
Most reasons to be proud of america were lies from the beginning. Try to find other stuff to be proud of. I hear carpentry is pretty cool. Good luck!
I’m not American… but I am Scottish/British and I’ve never quite understood the whole being proud of your country thing.
Unless one is a hypocrite it’s always been clear to me that if you’re going to be proud of all the good shit your country has done you’ve also got to be ashamed of all the bad shit.
And with a few centuries of colonialism under the UK’s belt (and before anyone says different, no, Scotland very much partook and benefited from it) I seriously don’t have the emotional fortitude to feel that much shame.
Feeling pride in your culture? In your community? Fine. But in your nation state? A bunch of administrators with delusions of grandeur wrapped in a flag? I’d argue that’s unnatural because nation states in no way played a role in our evolutionary psychology.
Maybe I’d feel different if I was born in a wee inoffensive country somewhere… but I hope not. Nation states are pragmatically necessary but I don’t think we should be getting too invested in them.
I’m an American, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but I can imagine being proud of one’s country’s institutions. When a nation actually pulls off democratic republicanism, it’s something to be proud of. When a nation’s institutions protect civil rights and promote egalitarianism, it’s something to be proud of because that takes a lot to set up. Ultimately, a government is something built by a community and shaped by a culture. The people at the top would like to fool you into believing that government is a clash of wills between politicians, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg.
Although our highest offices have been corrupt for a long time (always?), Project 2025 dismantled many of our proudest institutions.
Agreed. What op is feeling may be an awakening from nationalism. Maybe not pleasant, but liberating, I think.
Yea but I heard a story about a carpenter and the job almost killed him.
It’s very easy to disparage a nation state due to the actions of their government and forget that there are good people everywhere that are well intentioned and trying to do the right thing. The No Kings protest movement is a good example of that. Building solidarity movements with humane values is the way we change society for the better.
the drain has been clogged for decades, now its just BACKING up, which we are facing the consequences of clogging it in the first place. before we could use the plumber to unclog, but now its so big(trump) its just overflowing.
The US consistently ranks among the most charitable countries in the world, being #1 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2019.
Well, they have to for lack of a welfare state. It really isn’t much to brag about. Charity is a bandaid, which doesn’t solve the structural issues the same way that a welfare state does.
I’m looking forward to 2026 statistics after the removal of USAID.
Government might be corrupt as hell but at least culture of Mental Health acceptance is much better than Chinese culture.
I’m originally from Guangzhou, China, am naturalized and I overall like the US… at least more than China…
I just hate the corrupt politicians.
Also, so much entertainment stuff… movies, tv, are made in the US. Chinese entertainment is boring as hell (IMO)
Also: Usually those in the Entertainment industry lean relatively more left.
I still think Americans are generally good, if they actually knew the truth and not just far-right propaganda. (I mean that’s just humans in general… people are easily manipulated by the evil few)
The problem is low voter turnout, first past the post, winner take all electoral college, gerrymandering, most important of all, the PROPAGANDA.
Americans in red jurisdictions… rural areas… those who never met a non-white person… have a problem with a distorted worldview…
Primary turnout is atrocious…
Right now my parents and their culture are smothering me to death… they hate the idea of medications and depression is not a serious problem in their eyes.
I appreciate the reality check. It’s not often that I get to see that perspective. Thank you.
the lgbtq+ rights in your country seems amazing compared to my own
they are being eroded fast tho
check literally any LGBTQ+ focused news site
Anyone who was proud of america before was just drinking the coolaid. There are things america did that were worth being proud of individually, but soo many more not to. It’s the same idea as idolizing a person. The vast majority of the time they are really a bad person overall. Instead focus on the event or achievement and not the person.
No we’re at the end of an empire and the dawn of a new world. Our bases across the middle east will be abandoned. More will be emptied or destroyed. Our influence across the world will shrink more than it is now.
The states we have may stay. Alaska might try to break off and join Canada in 50 years. Hawaii might join Australia and New Zealand as well.
Unless we get a political party that will advocate for taxing the fuck out of the rich to invest in america via trains, healthcare and R&D.
Don’t get your hopes up.
I don’t know. You (as an American) are in a better place to judge that than I.
What I do know is this: people are people. And for every rotten son of a bitch, there’s someone else, quietly, moving heaven and earth to do good - both in big ways and small. If we’re going to tilt at windmills, we may as well tilt at windmills together.
There is this video about some American traveling and complaining that everywhere he goes people look at him with disgust and disdain. So there is that.
now that the DOJ doesn’t prosecute for it anymore, we’re way better at corruption. the rich take so much more of our taxes.
Being “proud of your country” is the root cause for all this shit.
Be proud of your family, your city, your friends, your self. even your company if they do good by you and others.
Never your country.
Is America fundamentally different today than in the past? Like others have pointed out, it’s not like we’ve got no skeletons in our collective past. Ask any indigenous person, a large percentage of black folk, or anyone who’s ever been considered “a foreigner.” The only major difference is that the same people who have always been assholes are feeling like they can operate out in the open.
But at the same time, the good that has always been true is still here. We’re a beautiful country, with so many ecosystems and climates, two beautiful oceans, amazing natural resources, and we’ve been pretty safe from wars due to our geography and having two pretty good neighbors.
Those being selfishly rich or power hungry have very loud voices these days instead of doing the same things while acting like so-called gentlemen, but they’re still a minority. Most people are just keeping their heads down and earning an honest living. Many are still doing great things like working on medicine, trying to repair our environment, raising and teaching our children, helping those in need, whatever you can name.
Maybe those that want to do evil in America want honest people to feel hopeless and to abandon holding on to what we have. That will leave it all to them after all. But I still love my home and my friends. I love our mountains, beaches, and wildlife. I love my America as much as ever, since I want this country to be the best it can be. But those who go around doing wrong in the name of this country, I want them to see justice more than ever too. We’ve survived the tyrants of America’s past for over 400 years, and one way or another, we can only move forward and hopefully learn from our mistakes.
We can be embarrassed or angry for how our country is being represented and managed, but barring a literal apocalypse, there’s still a ton of good left to find here between the land and the actual people who live here and cash this place home.
loads
protect your democracy and vote dem in november
good luck!
You’re getting a lot of the same comments in here, and I don’t feel like I need to add to the cacophony of voices decrying just how bad things have gotten (or, if you prefer, how bad they have always been and how they have only just now become more visible to us) so I thought I would chime in with one that still holds true today.
The United States has some of the best national parks in the world. If you are someone who enjoys nature and being in the great outdoors, whether that’s hiking, hunting, fishing, birdwatching, climbing, caving, exploring, etc. the experience you can get here really can’t be matched anywhere else in the world. We have the most diverse range of biomes anywhere on the planet - deserts, mountains, valleys, forests, badlands, swamps - you name it, we’ve got it and it’s probably contained in one of our many national parks scattered across the countryside - and the best part is that access is free for everybody.
Now, the big caveat, and one that kind of deflates this selling point quite a bit recently, is that a lot of the national park land and nature reserves are under threat right now by the Trump administration - there have been big moves by the executive to reclassify lots of federally protected land in order to expand oil drilling/fracking operations, as well as a push to force non-resident visitors to pay for entry, both of which are being fought tooth and nail by conservationists and environmental activists.
So, there’s something. We can debate on whether or not it’s a good thing to have national pride over things that we have little to no control over, but at the very least we can say we enjoy what we have now and take pride in the fact that our forebearers had the wisdom to use the law to protect the land and it’s precious resources and that we continue that effort into the modern era.
The US has some amazing musicians
The collar of the USA is in the hands of Zionists/AIPAC. The USA is managed by Zionists
There are worse places to live.
Don’t get me wrong, there are loads of better places to live, but there are definitely worse places.
America makes great animated series. It makes great movies sometimes too. Admittedly most of both of these things are actually made overseas, but you guys write them.
You also have a nice flag. Although you do kind of ruin it by being super weird about them.
You have really cheap petrol / gas. That’s definitely something you beat most of the world at. I think that’s the winner.
Sanctus@anarchist.nexus 2 weeks ago
Let me tell you the good news: we’ve always been fascist, racist, bullies. This admin is just not covering it up at all. Glad you’re awake now my guy.
Patnou@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
yea that was really good news. I ment so a small part of me can be proud again to be American?
BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 2 weeks ago
Despite having done things that seem dated in other countries, you guys did plenty of good
Just look at all the technological innovation coming from your country that saved a ton of lives (yes you have a spud healthcare system, but these innovations will help humanity for the rest of its existence, they cannot be taken away)
sneakypersimmon@lemmy.today 2 weeks ago
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Yes, yes we are. We have been for pretty much forever. We fucking suck.
theuniqueone@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
No reason ever to be.
bus_factor@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
If you’re a birthright citizen, why would you be proud over something you did nothing to achieve? It’s also not your fault, so there’s nothing to be ashamed of either.
It shakes out a little differently if you’re naturalized, but only marginally. That naturalization test isn’t much of a barrier.
FistingEnthusiast@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Why would you be proud to be American?
It was founded on cruelty, and never improved.
The civilised world has always sneered at the US, and for good reason
scarabic@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
I would suggest you focus on outgrowing the need to be proud of your nationality. It’s not necessary to be able to wave a flag happily to live a good life, do good things with your time, and appreciate others who are doing the same.
The second you try to take this to the level of the entire country, and specifically the nation-state itself… now you’re into a whole mess. The US has a lengthy history of atrocities, toppling democracies, massacring innocents, dominating weaker groups… just don’t go there.
djmikeale@feddit.dk 2 weeks ago
A trick is to acknowledge that there’s many alternatives. You can choose to be proud of your state, county, or simply just say “yeah my country is a cunt, so what?” And realize pride of your country doesn’t impact whether or not you’ve been a good, nice, or kind person.
OrteilGenou@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Well, you freed the slaves that you had enslaved. I mean, their descendants anyway.
I guess the answer is yes. Some small part of you can be proud to be American again. All you have to do is not think about it too hard, and you could try yelling “Silver Bullet” and shotgunning a Coors Light every now and then. That could maybe act as a stand-in for pride, anyway. C’mon buddy, it’s
notthat bad…speckofrust@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
Pride should be reserved for accomplishments, not for merely being born within some lines on a map. That being said, some immigration stories could be classed as accomplishments, so perhaps there’s pride to be found there.
RustyShackleford@piefed.social 2 weeks ago
Pretty much this, my friends and family thought I was being negative. But now, a few either, don’t like admitting it or they act like I’m a wizard.
WYLD_STALLYNS@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 weeks ago
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TeamAssimilation@infosec.pub 2 weeks ago
Any nation that still ends official messages with “god bless America” and whose primary power projection has been weapons for centuries, is still a shithole. You’re not saying “allahu ackbar” because your religious extremists use a slightly different book.