Patriotism in USA

One thing that strikes you the moment you land in America is that Americans wear
their patriotism on their sleeves & the star-spangled banner is out there everywhere
- on their cars, in their homes, hotels, even their office cubicles.

It is a matter of pride for them and we as foreigners are either envious of their pride
or jealous that we don't see a similar attitude in our fellow countrymen for our country.
Though I can't be sure, I have this feeling that all these flags, spread-eagles etc came
out into the open after 9/11. Whatever be the case, its well & good that a country rallies
together in moral support when faced with problems.

The problem though is that just as they take pride in being citizens of a free country,
they don't understand that citizens of other countries also have the same desire to be
free of shackles and to be able to hold their head high and see their flag flying high.
Actually, I am wrong there. They do understand, but don't really give a damn about it.
All forms of life, including humans are self-centered (with only the extent varying), but Americans would take the cake. As far as they are concerned, only they exist in the
whole world.

It's surprising that a country which fought long and hard against colonialism to become a
free land, should seize any available opportunity to curtail the freedom of other people.
The examples are numerous to list, but a few prominent ones that come to mind are the
slave trade, Vietnam, Afghanistan and lately Iraq. At times I wonder how Bush & Co. can
sleep peacefully when they have the blood of so many innocent victims on their hands ?

It was the US that armed Saddam in the first place. Then they bomb the country to dust
on the pretext of disarming him. Well, its an open secret that the whole business was
about oil. They go to bed with dictators all around the world just to ensure safety of their interests and to create chaos in the world and to avoid the rising of any power that could
stand up to them.

Well, life is cyclical in nature. And I am a firm believer in the saying that we would reap according to what we sow. I see a day, not too far away, when we have someone coming
up who would stand up to the bully and give him a taste of his own medicine.
Two probables would be India and China.

"America is probably the only country in history to have moved directly from barbarianism
to degeneration, without the usual interval of civilisation in between."

Whoever said this about America was bang on target.