The Worrisome Decline of Patriotism in America

disciple Clint · Jul 6, 2020

When Gallup first started asking Americans how proud they were of their country months before the 9/11 attacks, 87 percent claimed to be “extremely” or “very” proud and only 2 percent said they were only “a little proud” or “not at all” proud. Gallup recently released this year’s American-pride poll, and the results are concerning to say the least: The extremely/very proud cohort has fallen to an all-time low of 63 percent, while the only a little proud/not all proud group has swelled from 12 percent to 21 percent in the last year. Love of country shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but the Gallup poll revealed that 88 percent of Republicans said they were very or extremely proud to be American, compared to just 42 percent of Democrats. College graduates, people of color, and young people were the least proud to be American, according to the survey. In March 2017, 43 percent of respondents in their twenties said they were extremely proud to be American. Today, that figure stands at just 20 percent.
American Patriotism’s Decline: Worrisome | National Review

variant · Jul 6, 2020

It's a wonder what could have gotten people less extremely prideful about their country nowadays.

RDKirk · Jul 6, 2020

disciple Clint said:
When Gallup first started asking Americans how proud they were of their country months before the 9/11 attacks, 87 percent claimed to be “extremely” or “very” proud and only 2 percent said they were only “a little proud” or “not at all” proud. Gallup recently released this year’s American-pride poll, and the results are concerning to say the least: The extremely/very proud cohort has fallen to an all-time low of 63 percent, while the only a little proud/not all proud group has swelled from 12 percent to 21 percent in the last year. Love of country shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but the Gallup poll revealed that 88 percent of Republicans said they were very or extremely proud to be American, compared to just 42 percent of Democrats. College graduates, people of color, and young people were the least proud to be American, according to the survey. In March 2017, 43 percent of respondents in their twenties said they were extremely proud to be American. Today, that figure stands at just 20 percent.
American Patriotism’s Decline: Worrisome | National Review

What kind of things should engender pride in the dirt one was born on?

What should, actually, be a rightful source of pride for anyone in anything? Particularly anything that person didn't even accomplish himself?

Sparagmos · Jul 6, 2020

disciple Clint said:
When Gallup first started asking Americans how proud they were of their country months before the 9/11 attacks, 87 percent claimed to be “extremely” or “very” proud and only 2 percent said they were only “a little proud” or “not at all” proud. Gallup recently released this year’s American-pride poll, and the results are concerning to say the least: The extremely/very proud cohort has fallen to an all-time low of 63 percent, while the only a little proud/not all proud group has swelled from 12 percent to 21 percent in the last year. Love of country shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but the Gallup poll revealed that 88 percent of Republicans said they were very or extremely proud to be American, compared to just 42 percent of Democrats. College graduates, people of color, and young people were the least proud to be American, according to the survey. In March 2017, 43 percent of respondents in their twenties said they were extremely proud to be American. Today, that figure stands at just 20 percent.
American Patriotism’s Decline: Worrisome | National Review

Well, pride comes before a fall.

jayem · Jul 6, 2020

Seems to me there's a difference between pride and patriotism. Pride is just a feeling. Patriotism includes doing. A patriot acts to make his country better. When his country has a critically flawed and dysfunctional government, acting to change that government for the better--using properly established legal means, of course--is a consummate act of patriotism. And when a higher-caliber, more decent and honorable government is instituted, then pride will follow.

Sparagmos · Jul 6, 2020

disciple Clint said:
When Gallup first started asking Americans how proud they were of their country months before the 9/11 attacks, 87 percent claimed to be “extremely” or “very” proud and only 2 percent said they were only “a little proud” or “not at all” proud. Gallup recently released this year’s American-pride poll, and the results are concerning to say the least: The extremely/very proud cohort has fallen to an all-time low of 63 percent, while the only a little proud/not all proud group has swelled from 12 percent to 21 percent in the last year. Love of country shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but the Gallup poll revealed that 88 percent of Republicans said they were very or extremely proud to be American, compared to just 42 percent of Democrats. College graduates, people of color, and young people were the least proud to be American, according to the survey. In March 2017, 43 percent of respondents in their twenties said they were extremely proud to be American. Today, that figure stands at just 20 percent.
American Patriotism’s Decline: Worrisome | National Review

I’ll admit I never really felt patriotic or understood it. I’ve always found it a bit embarrassing to be around.

I do feel love for the city I live in and the Pacific Northwest, because of the natural beauty and the culture here.

Nithavela · Jul 6, 2020

I'm sure that's nothing a few military parades can't solve.

FireDragon76 · Jul 6, 2020

Sparagmos said:
Well, pride comes before a fall.

A little less hubris and belief in American exceptionalism might have saved tens of thousands of lives in the past few months.

RDKirk said:
What kind of things should engender pride in the dirt one was born on?

What should, actually, be a rightful source of pride for anyone in anything? Particularly anything that person didn't even accomplish himself?

Nationalism and patriotism are only a stones throw away from racism in how little an intellect it takes to fall for them.

durangodawood · Jul 6, 2020

I think of parents.
Sometimes theyre proud of a child.
Sometimes theyre ashamed.

Right now the child is failing school, was caught throwing fireworks into dry brush, and has been doing some dangerous drugs.

whatbogsends · Jul 6, 2020

disciple Clint said:
When Gallup first started asking Americans how proud they were of their country months before the 9/11 attacks, 87 percent claimed to be “extremely” or “very” proud and only 2 percent said they were only “a little proud” or “not at all” proud. Gallup recently released this year’s American-pride poll, and the results are concerning to say the least: The extremely/very proud cohort has fallen to an all-time low of 63 percent, while the only a little proud/not all proud group has swelled from 12 percent to 21 percent in the last year. Love of country shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but the Gallup poll revealed that 88 percent of Republicans said they were very or extremely proud to be American, compared to just 42 percent of Democrats. College graduates, people of color, and young people were the least proud to be American, according to the survey. In March 2017, 43 percent of respondents in their twenties said they were extremely proud to be American. Today, that figure stands at just 20 percent.
American Patriotism’s Decline: Worrisome | National Review

Pride and love aren't synonymous.

Fantine · Jul 6, 2020

Patriotism isn't the same as my country right or wrong. Patriotism is striving to make our country the kind of place that Americans can rightfully take pride in.

cow451 · Jul 6, 2020

disciple Clint said:
When Gallup first started asking Americans how proud they were of their country months before the 9/11 attacks, 87 percent claimed to be “extremely” or “very” proud and only 2 percent said they were only “a little proud” or “not at all” proud. Gallup recently released this year’s American-pride poll, and the results are concerning to say the least: The extremely/very proud cohort has fallen to an all-time low of 63 percent, while the only a little proud/not all proud group has swelled from 12 percent to 21 percent in the last year. Love of country shouldn’t be a partisan issue, but the Gallup poll revealed that 88 percent of Republicans said they were very or extremely proud to be American, compared to just 42 percent of Democrats. College graduates, people of color, and young people were the least proud to be American, according to the survey. In March 2017, 43 percent of respondents in their twenties said they were extremely proud to be American. Today, that figure stands at just 20 percent.
American Patriotism’s Decline: Worrisome | National Review

Sounds like it's time for new leadership.

cow451 · Jul 6, 2020

Nithavela said:
I'm sure that's nothing a few military parades can't solve.

With tanks and missiles. And goose-stepping.

98cwitr · Jul 6, 2020

variant said:
It's a wonder what could have gotten people less extremely prideful about their country nowadays.

1980s-1990s education propaganda.

RDKirk · Jul 6, 2020

98cwitr said:
1980s-1990s education propaganda.

Except that the quoted decline has been in the last three years.

98cwitr · Jul 6, 2020

RDKirk said:
Except that the quoted decline has been in the last three years.

Fair point, and I might have to retract what I said: Of 2020 surveys, the majority that responded "extremely proud" were college graduates, where as the bulk of those who were not proud of to be American has little to no college education:

https://news.gallup.com/file/poll/312650/200615ProudtoBeAmerican.pdf

This would suggest that at least the majority of colleges are not challenging patriotism in the way that some folks, including Trump, are saying they are. I'm sure some are, and I think in every major college there are courses and curriculum that are contrary to American ideals. I can provide a small mountain of anecdotal evidence to support this, but will refrain as to not stray off topic.

edit: Another interesting point of the study, of the 1034 randomly surveyed, 736 identified as either conservative or moderate.

renniks · Jul 6, 2020

I have always been proud of the American ideal. It's built on the biblical idea that everyone has worth equally. Just because this country isn't perfect is not a reason to desert patriotism. It's still the best nation on the planet.

Nithavela · Jul 6, 2020

renniks said:
I have always been proud of the American ideal. It's built on the biblical idea that everyone has worth equally. Just because this country isn't perfect is not a reason to desert patriotism. It's still the best nation on the planet.

Is it, though?

istodolez · Jul 6, 2020

disciple Clint said:
College graduates, people of color, and young people were the least proud to be American,

I'm sure there's nothing to learn from this statistic. Nothing at all. Well, other than the clear fact that they are indoctrinated/ignorant/<insert your favorite way to denigrate their opinion>/etc.

Frankly the minute someone starts talking about how patriotic we should be is when I start thinking: "patrtiotism isn't a birth defect. It grows organically based on how people feel their society behaves"

But that's probably my "college education" or something equally terrible.

istodolez · Jul 6, 2020

renniks said:
Same old, every Patriot is a bigot nonsense...yawn. it's the opposite of bigotry to believe in the American ideal of all people being of equal value.

You said it: "ideal". America has done so much good in the world and we've become an amazing country. But we are no where NEAR our "ideals". We blather a lot aobut "equity" and "equality" but we have never really lived up to that. We act like we have "all the freedomz" but in reality we aren't always the bastion of all freedom we like to think ourselves to be.

We can be better. For me, THAT is true patriotism. Unthinking "My country right or wrong" isn't patriotic.

The Worrisome Decline of Patriotism in America

Well-Known Member

Happy Cat

Alien, Pilgrim, and Sojourner

Well-Known Member

Naturalist

Well-Known Member

our world is happy and mundane

Well-Known Member

Dis Member

Senior Veteran

Dona Quixote

Standing with Ukraine.

Standing with Ukraine.

Lord forgive me

Alien, Pilgrim, and Sojourner

Lord forgive me

Well-Known Member

our world is happy and mundane

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Similar threads