Good points and a plausible path forward. But there are a few gaps I think. For one, there is no mention of faith. For example, In churches across the country, people regularly pray for the government, the president, and the direction of world events. On memorial day they honor the fallen and those who have served. When natural disasters occur they gather money and supplies and try to help.
These activities and rituals are sinews of the national identity. They bind people to a sense of belonging greater than their small circle. They are extremely hard to replicate using sporting events and concerts.
Dems are not anti-faith. But they seem to avoid talking about it, celebrating it, or acknowledging its positive influence. My general take on Ds and faith is that they wish it would stay in the private sphere and not be mentioned.
Second, the Dem coalition seems like an amalgamation of groups that each have a particular issue. Often the issue is tied to past discrimination (LGBT, minorities) or a current crisis (climate). These groups make common cause for electoral success, but the issue that binds them is America’s shortcomings not its greatness. This, I think, is why D politics often seems uncomfortable with patriotic displays.
Good comments, but I would say, a sizeable amount of Dems are anti-faith. I subscribe to this blog because I want to hear opinions from Democrats (who, in this blog, for the most part, acknowledge the folly of the progressive cultural stances). And when we say faith, I'm speaking about Christianity. Of course, after all, our motto is still, In God we Trust.
I can't read all the generally well-written LIB Pat articles, but I've yet to read an article that spoke, even modestly, of Christianity in a positive way, or as a good thing. If it's spoken of, it's simply in a matter of fact way. The vast majority of my Dem friends and acquaintances are atheist or agnostic. Indeed, too often I find the attitude is, 'of course you support Trump, what would I expect from someone who believes the fairy tales in the Bible'.
Is it not the Democratic party that has brought us so many things so strongly antithetical to the Bible, in the hopes of mainstreaming them (> than 2 sexes, one can change their sex, unfettered abortion (make no mistake, save the life of the mother, if one supports abortion, respectfully, you are not a child of God), determining ones value/worth through immutable traits, school boards sexualizing elementary schools (thank you SCOTUS!), it's fair to women to allow men to compete in their sports, etc, etc)? Was it not the Dems who 'booed' God, lol, that's a joke.
BTW, I'm not saying Republicans are generally God fearing folk, we are not. But, at least they generally acknowledge God, Jesus, Christianity, it's important roots in this nation and how faith are all good things. The reality is, they are the only things that count.
The biggest issue is actually conveyed, perhaps unintentionally, here:
"Anyone who has spent time in liberal circles since the election, *especially on social media,*"
If you (speaking generally, not of Mr. Baharaeen) are getting your view of any group from social media, you are only ever going to get the loudest and most negative messages from them, and thus will only ever have the most negative possible view of them.
A democrat (whether far or center-left) posts "while I dislike the current leader of its government, I still think the U.S. is a great nation and we should celebrate its greatness, regardless of our politics." -->algorithm diminishes its exposure
A democrat posts "America is a predatory, imperialist nation full of idiots and we should all be ashamed of it." -->algorithm maximizes its exposure
Same for any Republican/conservative who posts something about "despite our disagreements, we all love this country", etc.
Most people I know, on both sides of the aisle, when I ask them what sources they consult to learn about political events and especially the other side of the political aisle inevitably tell me it's primarily from some social media platform, where they're only exposed to loudmouth jackasses, (and tons of inaccurate or hyper-filtered information, now that many politicians know people will believe whatever lie they spew as long as it stokes the reptile instincts) rather than real face-to-face interactions with actual people.
How do moderate voices--such as Democrats/Liberals and Republicans/Conservatives with a common sense of pride for their country--prevail in that environment? *That's* the central riddle to solve, IMO.
If I am ever polled about whether I am proud to be an American, I would say yes. Technically speaking, though, I am not actually proud because it is no accomplishment for me to be American. I was born here to American parents and I've been a citizen my entire life.
I'll use more precise words to describe my feelings: I am incredibly blessed to be an American. I live in a prosperous, magnificently beautiful nation populated by so many wonderful, very talented, kind people. I live in the freest nation in history, with the greatest protections for freedom of expression as enshrined in the crown jewel of the U.S. Constitution: the First Amendment. As Alexis de Tocqueville noted long ago, Americans are democratic in spirit - that is still true.
We are an imperfect country, but much improved from 40 years ago, with many more opportunities for groups of people who were discriminated against. The younger generations need to read serious history and compare the U.S. to other places in the world. As a nation, we have sometimes gravely sinned, but there is a reason so many people would move here if they could: the United States is still a symbol of liberty to the world.
Point taken. The poll question was sort of disconnected from reality as they often are. A more interesting question for this Substack would be "Are you proud to be a Democrat?"
We who support President Trump do NOT believe that our nation's best days are behind us. Rather, we believe that our future will be better than our past if we make it that way, since our future is in our own hands.
This idiotic hate for America is what you get when progressives are indoctrinated by Marxists at universities heavily funded by taxpayer money. It is ridiculous. These clowns make it harder and harder to win elections, by their own pathetic stances and ignorance. I’m a naturalized American, I love the country and have debated how great America is with people around the world, and I find the standard progressive obsession with talking shit about America both annoying and deeply ignorant. Nobody likes a know-nothing know-it-all who will blather on about “slavery” but ignore what the US did during and since WW2 for the world.
A good exercise is to decide where you want to live, here or elsewhere. I don't mean going on an extended vacation, living off your equities while being a digital nomad, or retiring to Portugal. I'm talking about getting a job, kids going to school, renting or buying a place, all those things that being a resident require.
Back in my late 30s I chose America. Seen from a distance and compared to other places America is a great country and Americans are a great people. Coming through customs in Los Angeles required talking to a couple of custom agents in a separate room who bent over backwards to make sure we made our connection and that our bags were forwarded. It felt great to be home again.
It is sad really .. this is not a perfect country nor will it ever be. I do believe this is the land of opportunity. And at points in our history not all people were able to participate, however there have been brave men and women who risked their lives to change this! I think there is a failure to acknowledge the progress that has been made The marginalized groups are forever known as ‘oppressed’. Which to me is insulting to them and depressing
When my husband and I started traveling abroad we just thought that they would hate us as Americans. What we encountered were people who were curious about America and wanted to come here!
Best column. Thank you so much for the Mark Twain quote. It encapsulates my feeling of patriotism exactly.
I would add to your excellent list of suggestions, to participate in a local 4th of July parade. Find one of the tens of thousands of them across the nation and go. Pick the smallest town, bring your lawn chair, share homemade cookies with the family next to you. CONNECT. Perhaps think of it as sociology research if you must, but go and soak in the good vibes. Maybe you will walk away richer for the experience.
You have hit on a very, very important point. So let's look at Hollywood: what movies celebrate America---ANY aspect of America? One of the very few, which actually had an immigrant nationalization ceremony in it, "Here Comes the Boom" received no Hollywood attention. Instead, the most celebrated movies are those of transsexuals. Really? Does this "enhance patriotism?" Imagine a movie about a high school girl who finds herself constantly losing to a MAN. That would be a great movie---but Hollywood would never make it.
How do you restore patriotism in a party that celebrates judges keeping rapists and murderers here? How do you restore patriotism in a party where NOT ONE SINGLE POLITICIAN praised the brave pilots who carried out a daring raid on an arch enemy without a loss? How do you restore patriotism when the big city mayors will not protect ordinary citizens from rioters or when the DA of Los Angeles tells shop owners, "No, your stuff that doesn't get to the price tag of $1000 doesn't matter." How do you celebrate patriotism when ALL elected and most unelected Democrats not only were part of the Russia Hoax but to this day have never apologized for it and vowed to bring the perps to justice?
I could go on, and you're right, there usually IS more than government, but in the late 1990s with Bill Clinton the Democrat Party made EVERYTHING political. You now reap what you sow, and bsed on voter registration shifts (another +10,000 R in PA just in the last month), the American public is done with the Democrat Party.
TBF I think Maverick counted as patriotic. There's a good lesson there (l-or actually at least 2, probably more- for Dem leadership & strategists if they have the eyes to see and the willingness to take them to heart.
Another way to put things in proper perspective, as you've done here, is for people to turn off MSNBC, CNN, and the major broadcast networks and instead seek out more neutral and unbiased media outlets, such as The Flyover and News Nation. As they slowly recover from the incessant gaslighting, they will gradually see their minds open to the real world, where people do things for one another.
If you want to truly experience patriotism attend a citizenship naturalization ceremony. You'll see people of every race and nationality cross a threshold to join us in our grand experiment, and they do so with infectious enthusiasm and joy. If you're empathetic and even vaguely sentinent, it's hard to come away from that without acknowledging that America is a net positive force.
Good luck but the polling data seems to indicate that the people you are trying to reach aren't listening. And perhaps you have a denominator problem whereby so many who feel patriotic have already defected and now show up in the other column.
Why is it that the Republicans' pride in our country changed so little with the elections of Obama and Biden, while the Democrats' pride in our country dropped so sharply with the election and re-election of Trump? If they think there is something seriously wrong with a country which would re-elect Donald Trump, that ultimately reflects their contempt for the Trump voters.
The solution, then, would be for them to win back the Trump voters who re-elected him. They can't do it because their contempt for the Trump voters is impossible to conceal.
Just look at the trend lines where Republican patriotism remained consistent even when Democrats controlled the levers and switches of the federal government.
As someone with a self-awarded PHD in "liberal studies" because I have lived in a blue state in a hard blue college town for 45 years and have worked to try and understand why my liberal friends have so many upside down views and beliefs (what am I missing?)... the conclusion is that Democrats are generally people that struggle with emotional regulation.
Democrats emote. Republicans rationalize.
There is a big ass problem with anyone in any position of power and influence that cannot calm down and demonstrate calm pragmatism. I can cause a Democrat's hair to light on fire just with a few words. My Republican friends are not like that... maybe because they have been called every name in the book by Democrats for so long that they have donned Teflon suits.
Democrats tend to consume a lot more therapy services, have higher rates of depression and mental healthy issues.
The Democrat political machine and the media exploits this lack of emotional regulation and easier emotional influence to keep revving up those afflicted. These people hate America because they keep getting fed a diet of negative memes and fake news. And their campus experience was also a place where they had been fed a diet of "everything is bad and tragic and unfair and terrible."
Yes, Democrats suck more as people. That explains the trend line.
If you don't see that tribalism and political acrimony permeate both sides of the aisle nowadays you're simply not looking hard enough.
As someone who has family in both red and blue America, and spends a fair bit of time in both, I can assure you that both are well-stocked with people who will go off like a bottle rocket if you go after their political orthodoxies. You just have to know where to find them, and how to push the right buttons. (I generally try not to, but I've been witness to more than enough of the fireworks to know what they are) It's only gotten worse as social media has siloed people off and warped the ways people think about each other.
And here's the rub on the patriotism statistic: there is a sizable bloc of Republicans who simply don't view Democrats as part of 'America'. By some estimates, of Republicans who believe Trump won in 2020, 75% of them believe Democrats are "downright evil." Seeing as Democrats are about half of the country, this bloc is clearly defining the 'America' they are proud of as an entity that does *not* include Democrats--as "being proud of something" and viewing it as "50% downright evil" are pretty mutually exclusive. They are in a sense expressing pride in an idealized America that doesn't exist, and disdain for the actually-existing America. It's basically the flip side of many progressives' "America is racist/imperialist/etc." view of the country; it merely alters it to "America is great, but 50% of the population isn't American, they're just evil." It's not a majority bloc, so it doesn't define Republicans as a whole, (and I am not claiming it does) but it is sizable, and problematizes what seems to be the 'asymmetric patriotism' you see in the cited polls: https://hub.jhu.edu/2024/10/27/snf-agora-poll-september-2024/
This had great points, but may I suggest along with acknowledging America's shortcomings, we also keep in mind, those of the rest of the world. I read once 1/3 of Americans believe slavery was a uniquely American cancer. Slavery has existed since time immemorial, among vast swaths of the world and continues, unfortunately, in parts of the globe today. This does not absolve the US, but it certainly explains the situation more accurately.
Ditto for women's and LGBTQ rights. Roughly 1 billion people out 8 billion in the world , reside in the West. We treat women, children and the LGBTQ community, entirely differently than vast swaths of the world. In Gaza, "choice" does not mean, "may I get an abortion?", it means " may I leave the house without a male escort?". The answer to both questions is unequivocally no, as it is in other parts of the world. Women's rights in much of the world barely exist, if that. Likewise, most of the world does not treat LGBTQ relationships as equal to straight relationships. In some nations, not only is any form of homosexuality illegal, it is still punishable by imprisonment or execution.
Moreover, for immigration. In most other parts of the world, 10 million non citizens do not cross the border without invitation, only to be showered with tens of thousands of dollars of Welcome Wagon gifts and perpetual subsidies. In most of the world, save certain countries in Western Europe, undocumented new arrivals are quickly shown the door, imprisoned or worse, except in exigent circumstances. The notion the US is intolerant to immigration is laughable.
Our current discourse greatly stems from Biden and Trump's unique ability to enrage 1/2 of America. Love them or hate them, this stems from the polices far outside most, previous administration norms. As a nation, when we swing too far Left or Right, we find our way back. We will do the same this time, eventually.
It doesn't help that the face of the democrats is Ilhan Omar on this issue.
FWIW, I went to college at the People's Republic of Madison WI in the early 1980s, and the left was was saying the same exact stuff: "we have to interrogate our past and not paper over it"
Same old, same old. I suspect the American communists of a century ago were singing the same tune, envying how Stalin was getting to have all the fun.
Good points and a plausible path forward. But there are a few gaps I think. For one, there is no mention of faith. For example, In churches across the country, people regularly pray for the government, the president, and the direction of world events. On memorial day they honor the fallen and those who have served. When natural disasters occur they gather money and supplies and try to help.
These activities and rituals are sinews of the national identity. They bind people to a sense of belonging greater than their small circle. They are extremely hard to replicate using sporting events and concerts.
Dems are not anti-faith. But they seem to avoid talking about it, celebrating it, or acknowledging its positive influence. My general take on Ds and faith is that they wish it would stay in the private sphere and not be mentioned.
Second, the Dem coalition seems like an amalgamation of groups that each have a particular issue. Often the issue is tied to past discrimination (LGBT, minorities) or a current crisis (climate). These groups make common cause for electoral success, but the issue that binds them is America’s shortcomings not its greatness. This, I think, is why D politics often seems uncomfortable with patriotic displays.
Good comments, but I would say, a sizeable amount of Dems are anti-faith. I subscribe to this blog because I want to hear opinions from Democrats (who, in this blog, for the most part, acknowledge the folly of the progressive cultural stances). And when we say faith, I'm speaking about Christianity. Of course, after all, our motto is still, In God we Trust.
I can't read all the generally well-written LIB Pat articles, but I've yet to read an article that spoke, even modestly, of Christianity in a positive way, or as a good thing. If it's spoken of, it's simply in a matter of fact way. The vast majority of my Dem friends and acquaintances are atheist or agnostic. Indeed, too often I find the attitude is, 'of course you support Trump, what would I expect from someone who believes the fairy tales in the Bible'.
Is it not the Democratic party that has brought us so many things so strongly antithetical to the Bible, in the hopes of mainstreaming them (> than 2 sexes, one can change their sex, unfettered abortion (make no mistake, save the life of the mother, if one supports abortion, respectfully, you are not a child of God), determining ones value/worth through immutable traits, school boards sexualizing elementary schools (thank you SCOTUS!), it's fair to women to allow men to compete in their sports, etc, etc)? Was it not the Dems who 'booed' God, lol, that's a joke.
BTW, I'm not saying Republicans are generally God fearing folk, we are not. But, at least they generally acknowledge God, Jesus, Christianity, it's important roots in this nation and how faith are all good things. The reality is, they are the only things that count.
The biggest issue is actually conveyed, perhaps unintentionally, here:
"Anyone who has spent time in liberal circles since the election, *especially on social media,*"
If you (speaking generally, not of Mr. Baharaeen) are getting your view of any group from social media, you are only ever going to get the loudest and most negative messages from them, and thus will only ever have the most negative possible view of them.
A democrat (whether far or center-left) posts "while I dislike the current leader of its government, I still think the U.S. is a great nation and we should celebrate its greatness, regardless of our politics." -->algorithm diminishes its exposure
A democrat posts "America is a predatory, imperialist nation full of idiots and we should all be ashamed of it." -->algorithm maximizes its exposure
Same for any Republican/conservative who posts something about "despite our disagreements, we all love this country", etc.
Most people I know, on both sides of the aisle, when I ask them what sources they consult to learn about political events and especially the other side of the political aisle inevitably tell me it's primarily from some social media platform, where they're only exposed to loudmouth jackasses, (and tons of inaccurate or hyper-filtered information, now that many politicians know people will believe whatever lie they spew as long as it stokes the reptile instincts) rather than real face-to-face interactions with actual people.
How do moderate voices--such as Democrats/Liberals and Republicans/Conservatives with a common sense of pride for their country--prevail in that environment? *That's* the central riddle to solve, IMO.
If I am ever polled about whether I am proud to be an American, I would say yes. Technically speaking, though, I am not actually proud because it is no accomplishment for me to be American. I was born here to American parents and I've been a citizen my entire life.
I'll use more precise words to describe my feelings: I am incredibly blessed to be an American. I live in a prosperous, magnificently beautiful nation populated by so many wonderful, very talented, kind people. I live in the freest nation in history, with the greatest protections for freedom of expression as enshrined in the crown jewel of the U.S. Constitution: the First Amendment. As Alexis de Tocqueville noted long ago, Americans are democratic in spirit - that is still true.
We are an imperfect country, but much improved from 40 years ago, with many more opportunities for groups of people who were discriminated against. The younger generations need to read serious history and compare the U.S. to other places in the world. As a nation, we have sometimes gravely sinned, but there is a reason so many people would move here if they could: the United States is still a symbol of liberty to the world.
Point taken. The poll question was sort of disconnected from reality as they often are. A more interesting question for this Substack would be "Are you proud to be a Democrat?"
We who support President Trump do NOT believe that our nation's best days are behind us. Rather, we believe that our future will be better than our past if we make it that way, since our future is in our own hands.
This idiotic hate for America is what you get when progressives are indoctrinated by Marxists at universities heavily funded by taxpayer money. It is ridiculous. These clowns make it harder and harder to win elections, by their own pathetic stances and ignorance. I’m a naturalized American, I love the country and have debated how great America is with people around the world, and I find the standard progressive obsession with talking shit about America both annoying and deeply ignorant. Nobody likes a know-nothing know-it-all who will blather on about “slavery” but ignore what the US did during and since WW2 for the world.
https://open.substack.com/pub/freshlybakedhell/p/sadjexit
A good exercise is to decide where you want to live, here or elsewhere. I don't mean going on an extended vacation, living off your equities while being a digital nomad, or retiring to Portugal. I'm talking about getting a job, kids going to school, renting or buying a place, all those things that being a resident require.
Back in my late 30s I chose America. Seen from a distance and compared to other places America is a great country and Americans are a great people. Coming through customs in Los Angeles required talking to a couple of custom agents in a separate room who bent over backwards to make sure we made our connection and that our bags were forwarded. It felt great to be home again.
It is sad really .. this is not a perfect country nor will it ever be. I do believe this is the land of opportunity. And at points in our history not all people were able to participate, however there have been brave men and women who risked their lives to change this! I think there is a failure to acknowledge the progress that has been made The marginalized groups are forever known as ‘oppressed’. Which to me is insulting to them and depressing
When my husband and I started traveling abroad we just thought that they would hate us as Americans. What we encountered were people who were curious about America and wanted to come here!
Best column. Thank you so much for the Mark Twain quote. It encapsulates my feeling of patriotism exactly.
I would add to your excellent list of suggestions, to participate in a local 4th of July parade. Find one of the tens of thousands of them across the nation and go. Pick the smallest town, bring your lawn chair, share homemade cookies with the family next to you. CONNECT. Perhaps think of it as sociology research if you must, but go and soak in the good vibes. Maybe you will walk away richer for the experience.
You have hit on a very, very important point. So let's look at Hollywood: what movies celebrate America---ANY aspect of America? One of the very few, which actually had an immigrant nationalization ceremony in it, "Here Comes the Boom" received no Hollywood attention. Instead, the most celebrated movies are those of transsexuals. Really? Does this "enhance patriotism?" Imagine a movie about a high school girl who finds herself constantly losing to a MAN. That would be a great movie---but Hollywood would never make it.
How do you restore patriotism in a party that celebrates judges keeping rapists and murderers here? How do you restore patriotism in a party where NOT ONE SINGLE POLITICIAN praised the brave pilots who carried out a daring raid on an arch enemy without a loss? How do you restore patriotism when the big city mayors will not protect ordinary citizens from rioters or when the DA of Los Angeles tells shop owners, "No, your stuff that doesn't get to the price tag of $1000 doesn't matter." How do you celebrate patriotism when ALL elected and most unelected Democrats not only were part of the Russia Hoax but to this day have never apologized for it and vowed to bring the perps to justice?
I could go on, and you're right, there usually IS more than government, but in the late 1990s with Bill Clinton the Democrat Party made EVERYTHING political. You now reap what you sow, and bsed on voter registration shifts (another +10,000 R in PA just in the last month), the American public is done with the Democrat Party.
TBF I think Maverick counted as patriotic. There's a good lesson there (l-or actually at least 2, probably more- for Dem leadership & strategists if they have the eyes to see and the willingness to take them to heart.
Larry - what does voter registration look like in North Carolina?
Doen to juat D+23,000 from D+175,000 in 2024
? Down to just?
yes. in Active boters, GOP now leads by 83,000
Thx. Always appreciate your POV.
Another way to put things in proper perspective, as you've done here, is for people to turn off MSNBC, CNN, and the major broadcast networks and instead seek out more neutral and unbiased media outlets, such as The Flyover and News Nation. As they slowly recover from the incessant gaslighting, they will gradually see their minds open to the real world, where people do things for one another.
If you want to truly experience patriotism attend a citizenship naturalization ceremony. You'll see people of every race and nationality cross a threshold to join us in our grand experiment, and they do so with infectious enthusiasm and joy. If you're empathetic and even vaguely sentinent, it's hard to come away from that without acknowledging that America is a net positive force.
Good luck but the polling data seems to indicate that the people you are trying to reach aren't listening. And perhaps you have a denominator problem whereby so many who feel patriotic have already defected and now show up in the other column.
Why is it that the Republicans' pride in our country changed so little with the elections of Obama and Biden, while the Democrats' pride in our country dropped so sharply with the election and re-election of Trump? If they think there is something seriously wrong with a country which would re-elect Donald Trump, that ultimately reflects their contempt for the Trump voters.
The solution, then, would be for them to win back the Trump voters who re-elected him. They can't do it because their contempt for the Trump voters is impossible to conceal.
Democrats generally suck more as people.
Just look at the trend lines where Republican patriotism remained consistent even when Democrats controlled the levers and switches of the federal government.
As someone with a self-awarded PHD in "liberal studies" because I have lived in a blue state in a hard blue college town for 45 years and have worked to try and understand why my liberal friends have so many upside down views and beliefs (what am I missing?)... the conclusion is that Democrats are generally people that struggle with emotional regulation.
Democrats emote. Republicans rationalize.
There is a big ass problem with anyone in any position of power and influence that cannot calm down and demonstrate calm pragmatism. I can cause a Democrat's hair to light on fire just with a few words. My Republican friends are not like that... maybe because they have been called every name in the book by Democrats for so long that they have donned Teflon suits.
Democrats tend to consume a lot more therapy services, have higher rates of depression and mental healthy issues.
The Democrat political machine and the media exploits this lack of emotional regulation and easier emotional influence to keep revving up those afflicted. These people hate America because they keep getting fed a diet of negative memes and fake news. And their campus experience was also a place where they had been fed a diet of "everything is bad and tragic and unfair and terrible."
Yes, Democrats suck more as people. That explains the trend line.
If you don't see that tribalism and political acrimony permeate both sides of the aisle nowadays you're simply not looking hard enough.
As someone who has family in both red and blue America, and spends a fair bit of time in both, I can assure you that both are well-stocked with people who will go off like a bottle rocket if you go after their political orthodoxies. You just have to know where to find them, and how to push the right buttons. (I generally try not to, but I've been witness to more than enough of the fireworks to know what they are) It's only gotten worse as social media has siloed people off and warped the ways people think about each other.
And here's the rub on the patriotism statistic: there is a sizable bloc of Republicans who simply don't view Democrats as part of 'America'. By some estimates, of Republicans who believe Trump won in 2020, 75% of them believe Democrats are "downright evil." Seeing as Democrats are about half of the country, this bloc is clearly defining the 'America' they are proud of as an entity that does *not* include Democrats--as "being proud of something" and viewing it as "50% downright evil" are pretty mutually exclusive. They are in a sense expressing pride in an idealized America that doesn't exist, and disdain for the actually-existing America. It's basically the flip side of many progressives' "America is racist/imperialist/etc." view of the country; it merely alters it to "America is great, but 50% of the population isn't American, they're just evil." It's not a majority bloc, so it doesn't define Republicans as a whole, (and I am not claiming it does) but it is sizable, and problematizes what seems to be the 'asymmetric patriotism' you see in the cited polls: https://hub.jhu.edu/2024/10/27/snf-agora-poll-september-2024/
This had great points, but may I suggest along with acknowledging America's shortcomings, we also keep in mind, those of the rest of the world. I read once 1/3 of Americans believe slavery was a uniquely American cancer. Slavery has existed since time immemorial, among vast swaths of the world and continues, unfortunately, in parts of the globe today. This does not absolve the US, but it certainly explains the situation more accurately.
Ditto for women's and LGBTQ rights. Roughly 1 billion people out 8 billion in the world , reside in the West. We treat women, children and the LGBTQ community, entirely differently than vast swaths of the world. In Gaza, "choice" does not mean, "may I get an abortion?", it means " may I leave the house without a male escort?". The answer to both questions is unequivocally no, as it is in other parts of the world. Women's rights in much of the world barely exist, if that. Likewise, most of the world does not treat LGBTQ relationships as equal to straight relationships. In some nations, not only is any form of homosexuality illegal, it is still punishable by imprisonment or execution.
Moreover, for immigration. In most other parts of the world, 10 million non citizens do not cross the border without invitation, only to be showered with tens of thousands of dollars of Welcome Wagon gifts and perpetual subsidies. In most of the world, save certain countries in Western Europe, undocumented new arrivals are quickly shown the door, imprisoned or worse, except in exigent circumstances. The notion the US is intolerant to immigration is laughable.
Our current discourse greatly stems from Biden and Trump's unique ability to enrage 1/2 of America. Love them or hate them, this stems from the polices far outside most, previous administration norms. As a nation, when we swing too far Left or Right, we find our way back. We will do the same this time, eventually.
It doesn't help that the face of the democrats is Ilhan Omar on this issue.
FWIW, I went to college at the People's Republic of Madison WI in the early 1980s, and the left was was saying the same exact stuff: "we have to interrogate our past and not paper over it"
Same old, same old. I suspect the American communists of a century ago were singing the same tune, envying how Stalin was getting to have all the fun.