Questioning Patriotism
I question the patriotism of...
rich people unwilling to pay higher taxes while so many fellow Americans are struggling to survive in this economy
rich people unwilling to pay higher taxes in order to pay off our national debt in which so much of our treasure goes to China and other nations in interest payments
rich people unwilling to pay higher taxes in order to support more funding for education and scientific research so that we can regain our leadership in these fields.
those willing to let our democracy be eroded by allowing corporations to spend unlimited money on elections and by making it harder for certain elements of the population to vote.
those willing to let persist discrimination against any segment of our population.
those unwilling to change our energy-intensive lifestyle or to switch to cleaner fuels so that so much of our money no longer goes to fuel terrorist groups or support petrodictatorships in undemocratic countries like Russia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Libya, Nigeria, & Venezuela.
those people who are unwilling to pay carbon taxes to account for the true costs of dirty fuels on our health & environment and encourage conservation & efficiency while leveling the field for cleaner energy sources.
those people unwilling to pay substantial gas taxes in order to wean the American people off automobiles and roads and onto a much expanded rapid transit system and pathways much friendlier to bike & foot traffic.
those people unwilling to switch away from dirty fuels so that we can become a world leader in the competition to develop clean fuel technology and maximum energy efficiency.
those willing to wipe out natural flora & fauna for whatever reason.
anyone who prioritizes personal short-term gains at the expense of our long-term national welfare.
anyone who tries to block reasonable gun control laws, interprets the 2nd amendment to mean unfettered access to unlimited arms, and considers that it trumps all other amendments in importance.
people who hide their money in offshore tax havens.
politicians who prioritize getting re-elected over serving their country.
politicians voting for subsidies or tax breaks for the dirty fuel industries but not for clean energy.
politicians voting for subsidies or tax breaks for giant agricultural corporations but not for small organic farmers.
politicians giving breaks & advantages for big drug and insurance companies but not helping make health care more affordable for the average consumer.
politicians obstructing progress on the important issues of our time (climate change, environmental degradation, energy policy, wealth disparity, national debt, health care, education...) that need urgent attention.
politicians doing everything they can to make sure the president's policies fail.
corporations fighting to extract however much of our resources wherever they can for their short-term profit, leaving nothing for the future when we may need them far more than we do now.
companies willing to destabilize our land, denude our forests and contaminate our water while searching for & extracting minerals and gases from underneath the ground.
companies unwilling to let consumers know what dangerous chemicals may lurk in our food and other products we buy.
companies unwilling to reveal whether a food has been genetically modified.
companies that pay their employees <$10/hr (should be at least $15/hr in today's economy).
companies that have a >50:1 ratio between pay of top and bottom (it shouldn't be >20:1, but some are hundreds to 1).
Many talk about patriotism and freedom and democracy while exhorting those that disagree with them to (love it or) leave this country
Most of you who wave flags or have flag pins on your lapels are disguising a truth that is opposite to the message you're trying to send.
Or maybe you're just self-deluded and haven't really thought about the implications of what you espouse. In that case, it's time for you to ponder deeply. For those willing to sacrifice the future well-being of the many for the excessive opulence of a few, it doesn't get more anti-patriotic than that.
(By the way, if anybody would like to add to this list – or give a reasoned explanation why something doesn't belong on this list, be my guest!)
Thu Jan 30, 2014 at 10:45 PM PT: It seems like many of you have either misread what I said or not read it fully. My point is that many people wear their patriotism on their sleeve, and question the patriotism of those who disagree with them, yet the things they advocate (and have successfully enacted through often devious means) are very harmful to our nation, and my intention is to call them out on that. Do you mean to say you think the destruction of our environment, widespread poverty, huge & growing wealth disparity, etc. are patriotic and that criticism of policies that lead to them are unpatriotic?