Five Reasons to Be Proud of America

There's always been people who claim to be Americans but who also jump at every opportunity to talk about all the reasons they hate our beloved country. The 1960s introduced this kind of rhetoric in relatively small doses (thanks, in part, to Soviet infiltration of the cultural elites and the academics I think). 

Now, though, the free flow of information and the platforming of even the dumbest among us through social media, just about everyone from everywhere claiming to be who knows what can spew their stupidity and revisionist history to popularize a hatred of the West. I’m all about free speech, of course, but I don’t know if that should apply to the bot operatives (China? Russia?) on X, etc., posing as our fellow countrymen. 

Anyway. That’s a different conversation. This conversation is for the actual flesh and blood Americans living under and protected by our Constitution. If you’re a human being and you want to use your free speech to call America the devil, your hate speech toward our country is protected by the laws of the country you want to destroy. So, go ahead I guess. Go on with your woke self. Nail the coffin shut on your freedom. 

Let’s talk about a few reasons why those folks are wrong. And for those of you reading this who don’t want to wipe America off the face of the earth, here’s some reasons to hold on to in the face of what seems like increasingly stupid and nuclear rhetoric. 

To all of our brothers who follow the Warrior Poet Society from all races, tribes, and belief systems around the world, we love you as well. But as you want to be proud of your country, I have things to be proud of in my country, too.

Reason #1 for Our Nation’s Greatness: Americans Are Astronomically Charitable

The United States is the most charitable country of all time. Americans as a whole give more each year than any of the citizens of the next most generous countries--combined. 

Each year, Americans give about $300 billion away to support charitable causes. So, this isn’t even including our extremely generous, perhaps too generous, foreign aid and other giving.

Reason #2 for America’s Greatness

Our country enjoys the highest standard of living per capita in the world. The average “poor” person in the US carries a $1000 phone in their pocket, has a big screen TV, and has the option of using credit (even if they are charging things on a card that they probably shouldn't have opened). 

Even our homeless folks have more access to resources than the “middle class” of the world’s poorest countries—resources such as a bed, running water, electricity, health care, etc. Meanwhile a third of the rest of the world lives on less than $2 per day. 

Let that sink in. 

Poor people around the world struggle simply to have clean drinking water, enough food, shoes on their feet, and a roof over their heads. 

So, while our system has some big problems, for sure, there are very few countries that are prosperous enough to give the aid our government provides for our own poor. (To all of you out there who are giving to churches, the poor, the hurting people around the world of all races and beliefs, God bless you. I think you're awesome and I'm proud to be among you.)

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Reason #3 That Americans Are Among History’s Greatest: Land of Opportunity

For generations America has been called the land of opportunity. It is a sad reality that in most countries around the world, it's nearly impossible to change your class or your future prospects. In China, in India, the countries with the largest populations in the world, citizens are born into and locked into a caste system or socio-economic class status. 

Meanwhile, in America, if you have a dream, a plan, and the will to make something of yourself, you can. Our heritage is a rags to riches story. Even if you're born in America with all kinds of disadvantages, you can change all that through hard work. 

Our history is filled with countless examples of people who had it far worse than you and me and yet went much farther. Because America is the land of opportunity. So, if you live here and you disagree, then I'd simply ask, why don't you go to some other place a try to find more opportunity? 

No matter where you look, you’ll quickly realize that the grass over there is definitely not greener on the other side. Depending on where you search, you may not even find grass and certainly not greener grass.

Reason #4 to be Grateful for America: We Make the World a Better Place

The world would likely be a very different and more tyrannical place if the US had not stepped into two different world wars to safeguard freedom. The Middle East is a perfect example. Just look at Afghanistan and how quickly they reverted to Taliban rule, the subjugation of women, the persecution of Christians, etc. after our scandalous withdraw from that country. 

Our heritage has been one of boldness and daring. I mean, we began a revolution against the world's most powerful army and our stubborn forefathers with balls of steel clung on by their fingertips while being outnumbered, outgunned, under trained, and facing horrific hardship. 

Yet we still won freedom from unjust rule. That grit is woven into the fabric of who we are as Americans. And though our military was not impressive back then and really wouldn't become powerful until the First World War, we can now boast the most powerful military in the world. And I'll ask, who keeps countries like North Korea in check and Iran and Russia, more than any other?

Reason #5 I’m Proud to Be An American: At Least I Know We’re Free

America is the freest nation on Earth. In America, we have freedoms that the rest of the world knows nothing about. We are less free than we used to be. I'll definitely give you that. But we're still more free than anywhere else on the planet. 

For instance, (at least at the time of this writing) I can still verbally attack sitting politicians by saying, "Zohran Mamdani is unfit for leadership and should be removed from office." I can speak my mind without having to worry about disappearing overnight with a black bag over my head. 

Except maybe if I cross the Clintons, of course. Our great experiment called the United States of America was established to keep individual citizens free from tyranny by limiting governmental control and power. Our First and Second Amendments are the hard wiring of this commitment, because they allow us to speak against our leaders and be armed to the teeth in case the government becomes tyrannical and we decide we want to replace it. 

It's not the government. It’s our government. This is my country, and it's your country. We don't belong to it. It belongs to us. It’s our inheritance. So, even in the face of all the hateful propaganda and anti-Americanism, I am still very proud to be an American. 

This is an important time for us to remember this. Train Hard. Train Smart. Remember Your Heritage. Let’s Keep It Free.