If you asked me like 4-8 years ago, I felt kind of neutral about things. Now I don’t feel an ounce bit patriotic or proud enough to even state that I’m an American.
Now, when I see an American flag around, I see it as a symbol of fascism, anti-intelluctialism, neo-nazism, and late-stage capitalism amongst other things. If there’s an American flag flying on a car, I can totally see that person possessing at least one of those qualities.
I suppose it’s good to be self aware and not blindly feel patriotic and ignoring that your country needs improvement.
I don’t know what I’m expecting in the comments here but just thought I would get this off my chest.
No
I’ve always felt pride in the ideals of my nation, and shame from its actions.
But at least I still hold onto the ideals. It’s not nothing.
No, but to make a post about how “cringe and icky” you feel is pretty fuckin cringe.
It also doesn’t make a ton of sense to be fine with America through the duration of Trump’s first presidency (which started 8 years ago and ended 4 years ago) but to feel icky for his second presidency??
Which also implies that Biden was the turning point for your loss of patriotism.
Something tells me this might be the first election you were old enough to vote in. And if that’s the case, I hate to break it to ya but each election season is always better than the next.
I didn’t get the chance to vote in the last two presidential terms that’s correct. I also had political views back then. The difference here is we reelected someone we knew was garbage, and not only that but a threat to our democracy.
Before that, I could see the flag as a symbol of hope, and a symbol that if there is an inherent goodness in all of us, maybe, a slim majority of us can vote for someone less bad than the orange rapist.
After the election, if I had a flag to wave, I would rather pull it down or fly it upside down out of embarrassment. We truly are a nation run by idiots.
Upside down flag means distress. Seems pretty valid right now
I kinda know what you mean… I used to not think anything weird about seeing an American flag, sometimes it even made me feel patriotic. Now when I see a car with an American flag sticker I assume the person driving probably has a loaded gun and is desperate to get into an argument about something
Exactly my point. It tends to be the case too.
Every time I see flags out in public, it just reminds me of authority.
I don’t like authority, from schools administrators to employers, or even parents, fuck them all, wannabe fascists.
Flags, school logos, corporate logos, or the concept of the “family name” its all the same. (I’d change the family name if it doesn’t cause so much paperwork trouble)
Maybe this flag as a replacement?
Found the anarchist
Are you on Lemmy? Yes? Then you’re just shooting fish in a barrel on that one.
None of us are using Lemmy because we agree with the status quo out there.
Same, I just feel kind of gross now when I see it. Sad as I still love my country, just not what it’s doing now.
youre not alone. the american flag makes me sick. overt patriotism has been coopted by magats, and its hard to see it any other way.
if someone feels the need to wave the american flag, i feel the need to be suspicious of your lack of empathy and possible fascist undertones. sorry.
Yeah but if I see an Australian or New Zealander fly their flag I’m like “they’re probably chill”. If I see someone waving a bit american flag I would think they were going to shoot me and call me the n word
Yes and no.
You can can display an American flag and not be a facist. Facists can’t co-opt the US flag.
The flags that look similar to the American flag, but have a blue line or are black/grey are the ones that cringe me up. Those are actual false flags and are anti-patriotic. Right up there with the “rebel” flag.
Maybe get a tiny little flag and put it in your garden.
On a semi-related note, I’m glad that Superman’s motto was updated to “Truth, Justice, and a Better Tomorrow” back in 2021.
Oh god, I didn’t think of how awful that old motto would read now.
Poor Captain America is fucked, it’s part of his name.
You are not wrong. Seeing jingoism and corporatized patriotism for the sham that they are really opens your eyes to how much of it truly exists. A person who wants no politics in life is often fine with a national anthem, a gigantic flag stretched across a stadium, with jets flying over for a Cheez-It Citrus Bowl and has absolutely no idea that it is political propaganda for nationalism and perpetual war.
In my 50+years here, it has only gotten worse and worse. We’ve always stuck our military where it doesn’t belong, back to the beginning with genociding indigenous peoples here. Now we stick military bases all over the planet and strong arm every other nation into unbalanced alliance. We create conflict for oil and to line the pockets of defense contractors. We aid those currently committing genocide and protect the perpetrators from receiving international justice. Nationalism and fascism snap together like two magnets.
Every time I am told to stand for a national anthem at a professional for-profit sporting event, I think of these things and remain sitting.
Do you think it’s possible to live in harmony with the rest of the world? If the united states conceded its powerful position, who would take over as the new world power? (Probably China) Would you be better off? Would the world in general be better off with someone else in charge? Would you prefer to stand for the Chinese flag or the American flag? Or do you actually think we are ready for a world where there are no super powers?
That’s a lot of questions, many of which I don’t know. All I know is that it is possible for the US to close all the bases and live in harmony with other countries around the globe. It is, however, improbable due to immense wealth among industrial sectors in the United States who hold the actual cards. Their greed will inevitably lead to full scale war as they wither and cede power.
My point is that the united states is a stabilizing force, and in many cases someone else would step in if we left. So my question is, would they be more fair? Its not as simple as saying that the united states is the sole source of evil in the world.
Any day you’re able to rise above the cult of nationalism is a good day.
Don’t forget who took that from you.
It was never a flag with lots of good behind it, it’s one of the least deserving of patriotism flags. And the fact that it is so heavily used, just like patriotism, lying about history in schools, the military shit is all extremely fucked up. It’s brainwashing on a disgusting level.
The flag doesn’t bother me but the pledge to it does. The traitor flags (Confederate battle flag and one bearing a president’s name) do.
Look for the helpers
However you feel is not “wrong”, and in this case pretty understandable.
Here in Australia I don’t have a problem with the flag itself, but there seems to be a strong correlation with people putting flags on their cars and being racist assholes.
