Does Obama Love America? Do You?

[EuroStyleSocialist]

I know this is an "old" issue by now, but I've been mulling this over since Rudy Giuliani's interview where he said he didn't think Obama loved America. (He then helpfully added, "He doesn't love you; he doesn't love me.&quot And aside from the usual racist bullshit (he can't be a "real" American because ...), I was struck by this idea that you can tell whether somebody loves America or not.

What kind of love are we talking about? Most of us didn't seek America out and fall in love with it - we just happened to be born here. Do we love America? Do we do so because America's just so freakin' awesome? What do we have to compare it to?

Or do we love it like a relative? One that we had no role in choosing, but one we "love" either because it's pretty nice or because it's not nice to not love your relatives? Who knows?

I do "love" America. I love its promise. I love its ideals when it lives up to them. I (mostly) love its energy. But I don't love everything about it. How could I; how could anyone?

Do you love America?

[GOLGO 13]

1. With me it's a casual kind of fling

We're friendly with each other but we try not to get too involved with each other's business. Friends with benefits you might say. I dunno. Sometimes I'll get drunk and then there's some pillow talk afterwards. But, yeah, we tend to keep things lite.

No promises though.

[bigwillq]

2. Yes. Yes. (nt)

[Corey_Baker08]

3. On The Surface I Think What A Dumb F*ckin Question

[EuroStyleSocialist]

4. That escalated quickly

I hope you realize I'm just trying to follow the logical trail of this "loves America" thing. My sense is that people who use this expression think of "love" of country like love of a god - unconditional and unquestioning. What I find ironic is that some of these people don't love America as it actually exists. They hate its permissiveness and diversity. What they "love" is an imaginary America that never existed but reminds them of the 1950's.

[Corey_Baker08]

7. Unfortunately I Didn't Get To Finish My Post...

On the surface I my initial reaction was, what a dumb question. However after logically thinking outside the box on the question I realized it's actually a good question.

While I in fact do love my country, I am deeply disappointed in many aspects of it. I am disgusted at the fact that in the richest country on the face of the earth millions of Americans from all walks of life live in poverty. I hate the fact that like myself millions of Americans are homeless, too many are still without adequate health insurance, too many go to bed hungry at night, too many cannot afford to pay their bills, save for their children's education, and far too many are one unexpected expense away from falling into financial catastrophe.

This can be debated subject to data and statistics but I believe in my heart that one, one person facing any of these perils is too many and two is way too many. For those Americans like myself and my family and the millions of other Americans who fall into poverty, many of which I may add are hard working individuals who play by the rules on the premise & the promise that through harfwork and dedication that their tomorrow's will always be better than their yesterday's, because after all that is the American Dream?

I believe that if asked a majority of these underpriveled Americans would also answer yes to the question of do you love America, However I believe a better question is does America love them?

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

5. I love California

I think America as we know it is mostly an accident of history.

[Arthur_Frain]

6. Rudys statement about "love"

was just another way of rephrasing the rights favorite attack meme, which is "Unless you agree with my political philosophy in every way, you are unpatriotic".

All the right wing talking heads are less tactful, and usually when a guest goes off the conservative talking points, one of their favorite accusations is "Why do you hate America?" Rush Limbaugh did this ad nauseum throughout the Clinton presidency, "Why does Bill Clinton hate America?" He would ask. Of course the segue way rarely answered his rhetoric, but it was effective in whipping up the faithful ditto-heads into a apoplectic frenzy of liberal hating/Rush worship.

It's a typical tactic of those not in possession of valid facts to support their argument, or with a false premise to begin with. If you can get the other side off balance by impugning their patriotism and get them emotionally spooled up, less attention will be paid to the paucity of your reasoning.

BTW, "right wing" here in the U.S. is the conservative side. I think it's reversed on the continent isn't it?

[Marxizm]

9. Nah,

No its not reversed in Europe, the right-wing are still the conservatives over there

[EuroStyleSocialist]

8. Bill Maher said it better than I could:

Unlike Republicans, Obama knows the difference between his country and his mommy:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/03/bill-maher-unlike-repubs-obama-knows-the-difference-between-his-country-and-his-mommy/

[Marxizm]

10. I love America,

I love America from the backside