How can you love a country but hate its govt?

[OddBeMe]

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

It’s not as much of a cognitive dissonance as you might think. I don’t like our government, I hate the way that it’s being run, it feels like we’re falling into the pits of fascism at times and I know the main reason this is happening has to do with the presidency of Trump and his influence.


At the same time, I love my home. I love the beauty of the state where I live, I love the kindness of the people around me, my community is welcoming, I see good people doing good things for others every day. And these people are all American. I love living in a place that feels like home.


I love my nation, which is why I hate our government for trying to make living here that much more difficult.

[OddBeMe]

Sure the hatred of politicians if tne other side wins an election. But there's people who hate taxes and want to "drown govt in the bathtub." Thats unpatriotic to me

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

I’m not a fan of the system either, if you can’t already tell lol. Let’s be realistic, anarchists aren’t going to win any elections anytime soon so I wouldn’t be too worried about those folks

[OddBeMe]

So what do you love about America then?

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

The people, the variety of the landscape, the fact that every state functions essentially as its own mini-nation within the nation to the point that you can tell if an American is from New York or Chicago or El Paso just from talking to them a little. The Appalachian region is also a personal favorite not just for having the oldest mountain range on earth, but also for being a beautiful landscape, and containing the regional dialect that gave English it’s only singular usage of a plural “you” word in the word “y’all.” There’s a lot to enjoy if you find community.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

And the food. Definitely love American food

[OddBeMe]

I guess I'm not seeing the reasons for sports fans shouting American anthems or the massive nationalism i see

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

Eh, I’m not a sports person either. That’s a cult all on its own if we’re being real

[Julie_TS]

These two ideas can def coexist at the same time and are much more mutually exclusive of each other than you realize. Patriotism doesn't mean being in lockstep with any one set of political mindset or party.

Loving one's country includes culture, history, the people, it's land, etc. and, can exist while simultaneously disagreeing with the actions, policies, leadership of it's government.

#twothingscanbetrueatthesametime

[Julie_TS]

Thanks for the MHO!!!

[WhiteSteve]

Abso-fuckin’-lutely

All the “Love it or leave it” shit is kindergarten-brained logical fallacy-based idiotic sentiment. I IMMEDIATELY stop taking someone seriously as a functional adult human if they say something like that.

[goaded]

Everyone should want to make their country better. Sometimes that includes hating what your government is doing.

[OddBeMe]

Sure but America has an entire political party wanting to destroy all of govt.

[goaded]

That's something to hate.

[Anonymous]

I am not nearly as puzzled by that as I am Republicans waving their Confederate flags from that time they failed to leave the US and MTG types who advocate for a national divorce, while simultaneously claiming to love America.

[Knightwatch27]

Because the government is not the country's soul or culture? Seems quite simple to me. The government is there to protect and maintain those things but different governments do this better or worse. Since it's coming from you odd, in your own logic you'd have to love Trumps administration or you hate America.

[OddBeMe]

Then what do you like about america? Bullet points

[OneViewpoint]

It's easy and it makes perfect sense. I swore an oath to defend the Constitution not whatever corrupt meat monkey the 1% have installed in any given political office at any given moment.

[OddBeMe]

Like due process for all people?

[genericname85]

you should hate the government cause the government is not gonna act in your favor. it's gonna act in favor of the rich and powerfull and there's very little if anything that you can do about that.

[OddBeMe]

Not so. Depends on the politicians you vote for. Pretty sure the entitlement programs wouldn't exist if govt never act in our favor.

[genericname85]

how exactly do entitlement programms give you the ability to have any sort of impact on any sort of policy level decision?

also since when does it depends on who you vote for? you think any candidate would represent you? lol you're a naive child if you think that. at best, they'll act as if they'd represent you untill the votes. after that, what you want is completely irellevant to the political process cause you never get to vote on policy level decisions. after the votes, the highest bidder wins on policy level decisions. there are some checks and balances to try to avoid that but we all know: corruption has always and will always find it's way around these.

[genericname85]

like you think congress members net worth sky rockets the moment they get into office, cause the job pays so well? or do you think they are taking all sorts of money from people to decide a certain way or to directly decide on policy in their direct personal financial benefit?

[OddBeMe]

The only thing keeping your grandparents and poor people alive are entitlement progress.

[OddBeMe]

*programs

[genericname85]

even if that was true, tht still doesn't give anyone access to policy level decision making does it? you're making arguments for stuff that's quite far away from the topic at hand. by the way neither me nor my grandparents live in the usa, so you can't even make that idiotic point you were trying to make.

[OddBeMe]

Agreed. But you literally said the govt does nothing for the people. 2/3rds of the budget is to keep poor people alive.

[genericname85]

where does the money the government spends come from? the government? no. the people pay that, not the government. so it's the people helping theself, not the government paying.

[OddBeMe]

Taxes. And we're fl o udnering because the rich dont want to pay and middle class is tapped out

[genericname85]

No taxes don't explain it. Cause taxes only pay their transparent income that everyone can look up online. The income increase they generate goes far beyond their salary that would be payed through taxes. or were you talking of something else?

[OddBeMe]

No, there are different types of taxes sweety. Like capital gains, or sales tax. What if we taxed every wall street transaction? You know big traders use Ai programs to trade in nano seconds

[genericname85]

Yeah but the capital gains tax doesn't explain how they gained their capital xD

[genericname85]

Cause somehow their capital increases like crazy. How? That's the question. And it's not increasing like crazy through legitimate income sources. That's my point. Yeah it does increase through certain investment forms. And since they're in politics, they can gain money from influencing the rules and therefore basically have the cheat code to generating more income.

[RageBabe]

If you don't like the government, leave; no one is pleading with you to stay.

[OddBeMe]

Im not the one wanting to cut govt. What do you love about America?

[abc3643]

That's not hard. That's why every major election never goes uncontested.

[OddBeMe]

Besides by the other political party?

[slatyb]

What's hard about that? I love the United States but hate the Trump administration.

[DrPepper12]

OH YES!!! ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY!!

[dustybiker2]

This

[loveslongnails]

It depends on what you mean by "country". Do you mean the landscape, the people, the living environment? What do you mean?

[OddBeMe]

People aren't patriotic over landscapes.

[loveslongnails]

I still don't know what you mean by "country"? The inhabitants? Some of them? The people who voted in what you agree with, or don't? This is why I can't answer because yes, I understand what government means, but juxtaposed against "country", I don't know what is meant by that.

[Avicenna]

That’s quite possible, but in your case, you hate both.

[exitseven]

I spent the last 4 years holding my nose and waiting for better days.

[OddBeMe]

Too bad trump wrecked it

[Sevenpointfive]

and it's not just that. you probably hate your state, city and local governments as well.

[Snakeyes7]

It's simple. All you need to do is separate the people and culture from the politics. If you are not a totalitarian, this should be a very easy task.

[noohair]

That is normal for me. The Professional Political Overseer Class has one goal and it has nothing to do with the welfare of its constituents.

[OddBeMe]

Then why is 2/3rd of govt spending keeping constituents alive?

[Anonymous]

Amazing how many leftists identify with an insurrectionist.

[OddBeMe]

Huh? Mean give them pardons? No that was trump

[Opinion Owner]

Bottom guy in your pic

[OddBeMe]

Ahh. George Washington was an insurrectionist.

[Opinion Owner]

Technically a traitor too.

[Opinion Owner]

... and a slave owner.

[grega239]

Thats kinda what nationalism is. at least in my part of the world.

[MemeSupreme]

bc you like its history or culture

[OddBeMe]

Which is the govt.

[MemeSupreme]

not really bc the government today isn't the same we had 200 years ago. by the way, i dont hate the U. S. lol its just our country has changed a lot

and even tho culture is correlated with government, its not the same. a lot of different subcultures too

[OddBeMe]

So you're a patriot because of. slavery? Or women not having rights?

[MemeSupreme]

im not a patriot either. i just dont care

and it depends what they hate about the current government and what they take pride in (like historically, culturally, or whatever it is)

[Staximus]

Absolutely

[beefcakebradybatson]

Be a MAGAN!!!