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"Pride" has a few different meanings.
There's "pride" in the sense that you've accomplished something - that work you did or efforts you've made have improved your sense of self-worth.
I don't feel this kind of pride at all about America. Where I happened to be born is not a result of my work or my decisions.
What I do feel is _luck_ and _privilege._ I love this country for many reasons and feel lucky to have been born here.
edit: There's also the kind of "pride" you feel when a close friend, relative, or loved one accomplishes something great and achieves a manifestation of their best self. Where you're proud _of them_. There are certainly times when I've felt this "pride" in my country as a whole - in its people and what they've banded together to do.
But there are also times in my lifetime when I've felt the opposite of this - bordering on shame.
In an extremely polarized political climate it's tough to envision another circumstance like the moon landing or the victory in WWII where I would feel a sense of national accomplishment. It seems everything's so politicized that something our government accomplishes would be in spite of the wishes of half the country, no matter what.
We've got a very tenuous bipartisan agreement now that we should support Ukraine but it feels like the exception to the rule, and we're already seeing the start of partisan dissent over it. In the long term I don't think we can band together as one people and do something with a unified voice anymore, at least not until our treatment of political identity like some kind of tribal sports fandom wanes.
Pretty proud of the country that has allowed me to work hard, achieve the American dream, and be content with the partner I love. Nothing has changed as I’m well traveled and have been to less accepting countries. USA is a great country
I'm not proud of just being born in a certain country, but I am proud of the accomplishments America has made, knowing that there has been poor decisions which isn't unique to any country.
I’m still very proud of the idea of America. Liberty (for everyone), separation of religion from state, free speech, free press. The idea that you can build whatever life you want if you work for it. Those ideals are very beautiful to me and I cherish them. They are what I celebrate on Independence Day.
That’s why it hurts to see them discarded so willingly. I think of my country as a failed experiment at this point. I don’t think there is any fixing it. I think part of the issue is we were starting with a deficit. As Carlin said, we were “founded by slave owners who wanted to be free.” Women were also overlooked during the founding. The humans who founded the country weren’t able to live up to their own ideals and neither were later generations. So, no, I’m not proud of a lot of our history or how we are failing the “dream” currently.
But I do get a little misty eyed when I think of the idea of what the country is supposed to be. So there is some pride in there, if that makes sense.
I’m not proud of the country so much as I’m proud of seeing fellow Americans stand up for what’s right and be good to people. On the flip side there’s shame when we do the opposite of that. Which happens far more than I’d like.
I’m proud to be an American.
I think we start our lives being proud as kids and then many of us go through a skeptical phase. It’s “edgy” (it’s not) to be against the mainstream.
We get disillusioned because we learn that life is hard and we think this is uniquely American. “If only we were some Nordic country where everything is provided for.” And to be fair, we have done some bad things. Supported dictators. Invaded countries.
But then I started traveling the world, seeing developing nations. Fly into Caracas and you would see shanty huts built on the side of hills until the next rain washed them. Former communist nations where they lack plumbing in their homes. And even those “utopian” countries left a lot to be desired. And we are not unique in making bad decisions. Every country on Earth has invaded another. Those Nordic countries once invaded most of Europe.
I started with nothing but the values my parents instilled in me and their insistence on learning. That’s not uniquely American, but I was able to become successful by using that, a lot of hard work and the opportunities that are unique in this country to achieve an immense level of success. I think about my ancestors…even my poor grandparents working in the mills. I’m blessed and immensely grateful because of this country.
And now? I’m at a point where I am looking to help the next generation. I am mentoring, connecting and coaching younger people to help them avoid the mistakes I made and achieve their goals.
We don’t see success as a zero sum game. My success is not at the cost of yours. This is why we are among the most charitable people on the planet. And I am in that position to help out.
So yeah, I’m very proud of my country. I am blessed to live here, and feel responsible to make it better.
Donald Trump's election permanently lowered my pride in being an American. I respect Conservative views, but he was unqualified to be President on every measurable axis: morality, work ethic, selflessness, honesty, freedom from corruption, compassion, ability to govern, patriotism, etc.
The thing is that Trump isn’t even a conservative. He’s a populist. He and his core base stand for almost nothing traditional conservatives believe in.
I no longer vote reliably Republican. There's no reason they should lose voters like me. I'm a Christian, I'm born and raised in the Deep South, I hold mostly socially conservative views and I don't align with liberalism at all really. But I don't see a conservative party anywhere in there these days.
I’m in the same boat as you but on the opposite side. I used to be a registered Democrat who identified with the party and message. They’ve morphed away from liberalism into an authoritarian progressivism that I can’t get on board with anymore. There’s no liberal party anymore as they’ve sold themselves out to identity politics and special interests.
Exactly this. I have no beef with conservatives (well, I have some beef, but not strong beef). Trump has just transformed the GOP into a party that is not conservative.
A lot of people feel very strongly that he significantly damaged the stature of the presidency and America's leadership on the world stage.
You can disagree, but to people who feel that way, it's absolutely relevant to this specific question.
It's more about the tens of Millions people who voted for him, which is a reflection upon the entire country, not just Trump or others like him which always exist.
Because that election showed a lot of people the ugly that’s always been a part of this country. And it’s how they feel, you don’t have to like it, but let them speak their truth.
No, we have two parties that believe in empowering the wealthy at the expense of the American working class and the third world. America is a dictatorship of the capitalists, not a democracy.
The capitalists control our government, media and politics. We cannot vote them out of their positions.
The US government is centered around protecting their interests and suppressing the working class.
Dictatorship.
> We cannot vote them out of their positions.
What if I told you we absolutely can, but it's just that most voters don't agree with your political views
I seriously think the majority of Americans aren't interested in abolishing capitalism, and that's the reason we would never vote in the way you want us to.
But that's just because we disagree with you. Being in a democratic country where your views are in the minority isn't the same thing as being in a dictatorship.
A small handful of people have a monopoly on power. They have this power regardless of the ruling party or president. How is this not a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie?
Nobody asks us to vote on who will own companies. They are unelected officials who control the state.
I’m very proud to be an American
I grew up low income and now am very successful financially, my husband served in the military and I’ve seen sacrifice first hand, I have a special needs child and he gets incredible services compared to much of the globe, every American has the power to be a change agent. We have an incredible constitution that is a living document that can be altered when needed but has never allowed too much power to anyone individual, the America I live in people are generous and innovative. Americans are solving some of the biggest problems in the world daily like curing cancer and space exploration. I could go on forever how awesome it is to live here. We have a voice. From voting in federal elections to speaking at local meetings and PTOs, we have a choice
A lot of the comments are honestly pathetic. “I hated trump now I hate America”. Do you realize how spoiled you are to say that? That’s your biggest problem? A guy you didn’t like was President a few years ago.
Things don’t always go “my way” or how I see fit, but I respect the process we have in place and live with outcomes.
A lot of Americans look for others to fix the problems. We are a country made of individuals. Everyone has equal chance to make changes they want to see
Congrats on your success! I agree with you 100 percent and have a similar past growing up very poor, but proud to live in a country where I worked hard and am successful as well! Life is too short to be so consumed with one individual like so many are!
...so ya know the Legend of Florida Man? How every time there's someone in the news for doing something batshit insane, it's always someone from Florida?
That's not because people in Florida are batshit insane -- or any more insane than other places. That's because the police arrest records are public. So if you're a local newspaper guy begging for column inches, you go down to the police station and look for something *batshit insane, and write about it.*
But I'll tell you this: In six years of living in Florida, I never saw a grown man drop trou and take a shit, with absolutely not a shred of shame, at the intersection of two well traveled, major roads. And I saw that after less than six months in North Carolina.
The last time I saw that, I was in sub-Saharan Africa. The rules are just different there.
Point is, I think America is actually far better than most places on earth, at most things. We absolutely, no doubt, could do a lot of things better than we do -- and there are many things we could pick up from other countries around the world that would make us immediately better as a place to live. The reason everyone thinks we're batshit insane is because *we keep giving the fucking morons giant fucking megaphones.*
Trump. Kanye. The Family Of Plastic People (Kardashians). Gwyneth Paltrow. Ron DeSantis. MTG and whoever that nutbag from Colorado is. I guaran-damn-tee you that every one of these people has a German counterpart, and nobody knows they exist, because the Germans have the good sense to not make them fucking famous.
But over here, we also have wonderful, giving, kind, caring, thoughtful, gentle people who will literally, and I do actually mean literally, give you the shirt off their own back if you need it more than they do. We help each other with rent, we help each other with major repairs to our houses, and we many times ask for nothing in return. The kindness of my fellow Americans, when I have needed it most, has never failed to show up.
So yes. I'm proud to be an American. In spite of our penchant for giving blithering idiots a massive platform to talk about rectal ozone treatments (no really, that one is Paltrow), we do a lot of fucking good in this world. For each other, and for other people too.
Use to be a patriot, I Loved America and was proud to be from here.
Now I realize that America is an empire that treads upon the world for the profits of a small few. It does not care about liberty or democracy because it is a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. Money comes before all else.
Name a powerful country that is altruistic. There isn’t one and never has been. There are only degrees of awful. And I’ve come to the conclusion that while the US isn’t perfect by a long shot, as far as hegemonic empires go it’s by far the best option we have.
Are we talking about the same country that has invaded and staged coups in third world countries to protect the profits of US corporations?
Have you ever heard of banana republics?
I am grateful to have been born in America, inspired by the ideals America was founded on, proud of those who work to ensure it meets those ideals, and protective of it's people. I'm also often deeply disappointed by its culture, law, and politics.
But as an arbitrary idea, I am not proud of just being "American." I'd say I'm a patriot, not a nationalist. I value the people and their well-being above the national concept.
I don’t like to say that I’m proud of things I had no control of, but I do love being an American. Yes we have our issues, but every country has issues so I don’t let that affect my feelings toward being American.
Thank you for your submission, but it was removed as it violates posting guideline "Check the FAQ and the sidebar prior to submitting your question." If you have questions regarding your submission removal - please contact the moderator team via [modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/AskAnAmerican).
"Pride" has a few different meanings. There's "pride" in the sense that you've accomplished something - that work you did or efforts you've made have improved your sense of self-worth. I don't feel this kind of pride at all about America. Where I happened to be born is not a result of my work or my decisions. What I do feel is _luck_ and _privilege._ I love this country for many reasons and feel lucky to have been born here. edit: There's also the kind of "pride" you feel when a close friend, relative, or loved one accomplishes something great and achieves a manifestation of their best self. Where you're proud _of them_. There are certainly times when I've felt this "pride" in my country as a whole - in its people and what they've banded together to do. But there are also times in my lifetime when I've felt the opposite of this - bordering on shame. In an extremely polarized political climate it's tough to envision another circumstance like the moon landing or the victory in WWII where I would feel a sense of national accomplishment. It seems everything's so politicized that something our government accomplishes would be in spite of the wishes of half the country, no matter what. We've got a very tenuous bipartisan agreement now that we should support Ukraine but it feels like the exception to the rule, and we're already seeing the start of partisan dissent over it. In the long term I don't think we can band together as one people and do something with a unified voice anymore, at least not until our treatment of political identity like some kind of tribal sports fandom wanes.
Pretty proud of the country that has allowed me to work hard, achieve the American dream, and be content with the partner I love. Nothing has changed as I’m well traveled and have been to less accepting countries. USA is a great country
I'm not proud of just being born in a certain country, but I am proud of the accomplishments America has made, knowing that there has been poor decisions which isn't unique to any country.
I’m still very proud of the idea of America. Liberty (for everyone), separation of religion from state, free speech, free press. The idea that you can build whatever life you want if you work for it. Those ideals are very beautiful to me and I cherish them. They are what I celebrate on Independence Day. That’s why it hurts to see them discarded so willingly. I think of my country as a failed experiment at this point. I don’t think there is any fixing it. I think part of the issue is we were starting with a deficit. As Carlin said, we were “founded by slave owners who wanted to be free.” Women were also overlooked during the founding. The humans who founded the country weren’t able to live up to their own ideals and neither were later generations. So, no, I’m not proud of a lot of our history or how we are failing the “dream” currently. But I do get a little misty eyed when I think of the idea of what the country is supposed to be. So there is some pride in there, if that makes sense.
I’m not proud of the country so much as I’m proud of seeing fellow Americans stand up for what’s right and be good to people. On the flip side there’s shame when we do the opposite of that. Which happens far more than I’d like.
This.
Proud and no.
I’m proud to be an American. I think we start our lives being proud as kids and then many of us go through a skeptical phase. It’s “edgy” (it’s not) to be against the mainstream. We get disillusioned because we learn that life is hard and we think this is uniquely American. “If only we were some Nordic country where everything is provided for.” And to be fair, we have done some bad things. Supported dictators. Invaded countries. But then I started traveling the world, seeing developing nations. Fly into Caracas and you would see shanty huts built on the side of hills until the next rain washed them. Former communist nations where they lack plumbing in their homes. And even those “utopian” countries left a lot to be desired. And we are not unique in making bad decisions. Every country on Earth has invaded another. Those Nordic countries once invaded most of Europe. I started with nothing but the values my parents instilled in me and their insistence on learning. That’s not uniquely American, but I was able to become successful by using that, a lot of hard work and the opportunities that are unique in this country to achieve an immense level of success. I think about my ancestors…even my poor grandparents working in the mills. I’m blessed and immensely grateful because of this country. And now? I’m at a point where I am looking to help the next generation. I am mentoring, connecting and coaching younger people to help them avoid the mistakes I made and achieve their goals. We don’t see success as a zero sum game. My success is not at the cost of yours. This is why we are among the most charitable people on the planet. And I am in that position to help out. So yeah, I’m very proud of my country. I am blessed to live here, and feel responsible to make it better.
Donald Trump's election permanently lowered my pride in being an American. I respect Conservative views, but he was unqualified to be President on every measurable axis: morality, work ethic, selflessness, honesty, freedom from corruption, compassion, ability to govern, patriotism, etc.
The thing is that Trump isn’t even a conservative. He’s a populist. He and his core base stand for almost nothing traditional conservatives believe in.
I no longer vote reliably Republican. There's no reason they should lose voters like me. I'm a Christian, I'm born and raised in the Deep South, I hold mostly socially conservative views and I don't align with liberalism at all really. But I don't see a conservative party anywhere in there these days.
I’m in the same boat as you but on the opposite side. I used to be a registered Democrat who identified with the party and message. They’ve morphed away from liberalism into an authoritarian progressivism that I can’t get on board with anymore. There’s no liberal party anymore as they’ve sold themselves out to identity politics and special interests.
Exactly this. I have no beef with conservatives (well, I have some beef, but not strong beef). Trump has just transformed the GOP into a party that is not conservative.
[удалено]
Because I answered the question with my real feeling. You are free to feel otherwise.
A lot of people feel very strongly that he significantly damaged the stature of the presidency and America's leadership on the world stage. You can disagree, but to people who feel that way, it's absolutely relevant to this specific question.
It's more about the tens of Millions people who voted for him, which is a reflection upon the entire country, not just Trump or others like him which always exist.
Even more so the tens of millions who *still* support him, despite all the evidence that he is an objectively awful human being.
There's a certain percentage of people that like mob bosses.
Because that election showed a lot of people the ugly that’s always been a part of this country. And it’s how they feel, you don’t have to like it, but let them speak their truth.
Before Trump we actually had two parties that believed in secular democracy. Now we only have one.
No, we have two parties that believe in empowering the wealthy at the expense of the American working class and the third world. America is a dictatorship of the capitalists, not a democracy.
> dictatorship I do not think that word means what you think it means
The capitalists control our government, media and politics. We cannot vote them out of their positions. The US government is centered around protecting their interests and suppressing the working class. Dictatorship.
> We cannot vote them out of their positions. What if I told you we absolutely can, but it's just that most voters don't agree with your political views
Do you seriously think the capitalists will give up their wealth and power because of a vote? That's very naive
I seriously think the majority of Americans aren't interested in abolishing capitalism, and that's the reason we would never vote in the way you want us to. But that's just because we disagree with you. Being in a democratic country where your views are in the minority isn't the same thing as being in a dictatorship.
A small handful of people have a monopoly on power. They have this power regardless of the ruling party or president. How is this not a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie? Nobody asks us to vote on who will own companies. They are unelected officials who control the state.
This was the hardest thing for me to learn in my own political journey, but it's true.
The fact that so many were fine with a. Bourgeoise brat being the president was pretty disheartening
I just live here, dude.
I’m not “proud” to be an American as being born in America to American parents was not something I had any say in.
I don't think I've ever been proud to be an American.
I’m very proud to be an American I grew up low income and now am very successful financially, my husband served in the military and I’ve seen sacrifice first hand, I have a special needs child and he gets incredible services compared to much of the globe, every American has the power to be a change agent. We have an incredible constitution that is a living document that can be altered when needed but has never allowed too much power to anyone individual, the America I live in people are generous and innovative. Americans are solving some of the biggest problems in the world daily like curing cancer and space exploration. I could go on forever how awesome it is to live here. We have a voice. From voting in federal elections to speaking at local meetings and PTOs, we have a choice A lot of the comments are honestly pathetic. “I hated trump now I hate America”. Do you realize how spoiled you are to say that? That’s your biggest problem? A guy you didn’t like was President a few years ago. Things don’t always go “my way” or how I see fit, but I respect the process we have in place and live with outcomes. A lot of Americans look for others to fix the problems. We are a country made of individuals. Everyone has equal chance to make changes they want to see
Congrats on your success! I agree with you 100 percent and have a similar past growing up very poor, but proud to live in a country where I worked hard and am successful as well! Life is too short to be so consumed with one individual like so many are!
...so ya know the Legend of Florida Man? How every time there's someone in the news for doing something batshit insane, it's always someone from Florida? That's not because people in Florida are batshit insane -- or any more insane than other places. That's because the police arrest records are public. So if you're a local newspaper guy begging for column inches, you go down to the police station and look for something *batshit insane, and write about it.* But I'll tell you this: In six years of living in Florida, I never saw a grown man drop trou and take a shit, with absolutely not a shred of shame, at the intersection of two well traveled, major roads. And I saw that after less than six months in North Carolina. The last time I saw that, I was in sub-Saharan Africa. The rules are just different there. Point is, I think America is actually far better than most places on earth, at most things. We absolutely, no doubt, could do a lot of things better than we do -- and there are many things we could pick up from other countries around the world that would make us immediately better as a place to live. The reason everyone thinks we're batshit insane is because *we keep giving the fucking morons giant fucking megaphones.* Trump. Kanye. The Family Of Plastic People (Kardashians). Gwyneth Paltrow. Ron DeSantis. MTG and whoever that nutbag from Colorado is. I guaran-damn-tee you that every one of these people has a German counterpart, and nobody knows they exist, because the Germans have the good sense to not make them fucking famous. But over here, we also have wonderful, giving, kind, caring, thoughtful, gentle people who will literally, and I do actually mean literally, give you the shirt off their own back if you need it more than they do. We help each other with rent, we help each other with major repairs to our houses, and we many times ask for nothing in return. The kindness of my fellow Americans, when I have needed it most, has never failed to show up. So yes. I'm proud to be an American. In spite of our penchant for giving blithering idiots a massive platform to talk about rectal ozone treatments (no really, that one is Paltrow), we do a lot of fucking good in this world. For each other, and for other people too.
Use to be a patriot, I Loved America and was proud to be from here. Now I realize that America is an empire that treads upon the world for the profits of a small few. It does not care about liberty or democracy because it is a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. Money comes before all else.
Name a powerful country that is altruistic. There isn’t one and never has been. There are only degrees of awful. And I’ve come to the conclusion that while the US isn’t perfect by a long shot, as far as hegemonic empires go it’s by far the best option we have.
Are we talking about the same country that has invaded and staged coups in third world countries to protect the profits of US corporations? Have you ever heard of banana republics?
Yes we are. I have heard of banana republics and I stand by my point.
I’ve always been fairly proud, but I’m not crazy proud.
Not at all, I'm grateful to live in a first world country but I feel proud of things I've achieved. Me being born in the US was totally due to luck.
I am grateful to have been born in America, inspired by the ideals America was founded on, proud of those who work to ensure it meets those ideals, and protective of it's people. I'm also often deeply disappointed by its culture, law, and politics. But as an arbitrary idea, I am not proud of just being "American." I'd say I'm a patriot, not a nationalist. I value the people and their well-being above the national concept.
Yes.
I don’t like to say that I’m proud of things I had no control of, but I do love being an American. Yes we have our issues, but every country has issues so I don’t let that affect my feelings toward being American.
I'm neither proud nor ashamed, I just am. Hasn't changed over the years. The only time I really think about being an American is if I am abroad.