Flags

[dead0man]

Demonstrating patriotism is very important in America. You can't even attend a musical without being forced to go through the national anthem.

I've been to musicals without being forced to go through the national anthem....but if it was such torture for you I'm glad you managed to escape to place without nationalism.

Other countries don't have as much to be proud of.

Actually, I think it's that Americans are trained to be proud of everything, even things for which there is no reason to be proud.

Like slavery, pushing out the natives and fat people!  As we're the only nation that's done any of those, we should be proud of them.

[dead0man]

I never said any of those things only happened in America, but there's definiteöy a tendency to shove patriotism down everyone's throats.

Maybe, but I don't think it's as pervasive as you seem to think it is.  Perhaps it's because the places I go to and people I communicate with, but I'm much more likely to  hear somebody give the US unnecessary sh**t than praise it unnecessarily.

and FTR I don't like excessive patriotism myself.  Especially when it's halfassed.  I've bitched several times about yellow magnetic ribbons on the back of cars that were everywhere a decade ago.  I still think the things right with the US outweigh the things wrong with the US.