I think of Americanism as patriotism. Someone who really puts the needs of the country above the few. So I can say something like, “I’m proud to be a patriot” or “XYZ makes me proud to be an American”, but I think humanity -and government- will always have room for improvement. Patriotism is just that, don’t you think?
I don’t get patriotism at all. I think it’s a kind of bigotry.
I don’t know; people are typically proud of a family member’s accomplishments, even when they had nothing personally to do with them. Is in nonsensical to say that I’m proud of my father? To flip it around, should I only be proud of my daughter to the degree that I personally contributed to her accomplishments? Not that I have a daughter yet, but I really don’t look forward to telling her on her graduation day when she asks if I’m proud of her “no, that wouldn’t be logical, because I didn’t do your coursework. You should be proud, though.”
Is that a joke? Judging from my internet interactions, you cant be proud to be American without thinking that all Frenches are snubbing fags.
American patriotism is just two beers away from plain xenophobia.
No. I simply have no real emotional attachment to America or being an American. It’s a place I happen to live, full of people most of whom I don’t like, most of whom don’t like me (since I’m atheist and liberal), and which does all sorts of unpleasant and stupid things I can’t stop.
I have to live somewhere. I have no guarantee that I’d like any other place much better; I don’t believe in paradise. And everyone and everything I know is here. Leaving a country and starting a new life isn’t the trivial thing statements like yours assume.
I have more in common with an educated German or Norwegian than many of my fellow Brits.
Put me in the middle of a housing estate in a run-down part of Liverpool and I’d have nothing in common with the locals; put me in a middle-class suburb of Hannover and I’d find plenty of commonality.
Wilfred Owen got it right with his “old lie”: dulce et decorum est pro patria mori
It’s not binary situation. One does not have to be proud or ashamed of something. Indeed, the OP says he *appreciates *being an American.
I sometimes find the “things that we did”, “our achievements” phraseology a little odd, and want to ask “What did you do?” But I can hardly criticize, since I feel the same way myself. It’s an inbuilt human condition; we can’t help feeling that way. When someone like us does something good, we feel a connection to that achievement.
I suppose it’s no different to being an armchair sports fan: when Man Utd or Arsenal win, people in the office will say “we had a great result last night”, and I always think “what exactly did you contribute to the success, apart from shouting at a telly?”.
I am an American living in Japan. I don’t usually give the matter much thought, really.
But as I watched US troops stationed here busting ass helping the victims of the recent earthquake and typhoon, smiling and chatting them up, handing out stuff, I got a little teary-eyed. I NEVER get teary-eyed. I felt pride of association and proud of my country.
When I read news reports from all over the world expressing surprise and admiration for the disaster victims’ behavior, lining up for supplies, not rioting, showing concern for others even less fortunate than themselves, I felt ridiculously proud of Japan.
The funny thing is, I didn’t really give either of these phenomena much thought before I actually saw them or had them pointed out to me. Sure, I knew our troops were handing out stuff. I watched the lines of Japanese politely waiting for water and thought of it as perfectly normal. It wasn’t until I saw these things through the eyes of someone else–Japanese news crews filming and reporting on the US troop activities, other nations commenting on how politely waiting on line isn’t always the default reaction to serious food/water shortage–that I realized just how cool they were.
Using the terms in this thread, I’d have to say it was pride of association. I didn’t have fuck-all to do with either of these things, yet I’m puffing my chest out about them. I guess I’m proud that, if only for a brief moment, the rest of the world gets to see how really awesome these countries can be.
Yup! Here, baseball fans will CONGRATULATE each other when their team wins. WTF?? 
I think where some folks miss the point is that “proud” is a Southern synonym for “glad”. Of course, I’m assuming the phrase originated as a Southernism and was subsequently adopted by Non-southern speakers. I’m “proud” (glad) to be an American. I’m also proud to meet people from other countries. Taking pride on one’s country does not mean you thereby absolve your nation of its sins (slavery, racism, how the Natives were dealt with whenever it was discovered they were living on prime real-estate, etc.)
Living here, I can influence, or at least encourage my fellow Americans to be as good, kind, decent, and wise as they can manage. And then stop bugging them about it so I can concentrate on doing the same for myself.
I’m a proud American, but I’m also proud and happy that I share a world with people like these. Too bad it takes a disaster before the media will report on the real heroes (that includes you, people of Japan). Of course, without the background of a disaster, I can also understand how “Boyscout Helps Old Lady Cross Street” isn’t exactly Pulitzer material either.
One can also count to ten without using one’s fingers. If all your friends use their fingers, it doesn’t mean counting without using fingers is odd or impossible. It just means you need smarter friends.
I’m proud to be a Quebecer, since I feel that we’re a people that’s taken gigantic strides in the last 50 years, who’ve managed to keep existing and change things for the best both at home and elsewhere. You may say that’s not actually “me”, so I shouldn’t be proud of it, but it’s a sum of people with whom I share a connection. And I try to be part of it as well. So yes, I’m certainly proud.
Heh, I don’t think we should judge anything from our Internet interactions. And I kind of suspect confirmation bias here.
You say that because I’m French. I know your type. I’ve been reading all about you. Repeatedly.
I’m not proud to be an American, since I didn’t choose to be. I’m also not especially more loyal to other Americans than I am to folks from other countries: there are plenty of shitty Americans, there are plenty of awesome Americans, there are plenty of shitty Australians, there are plenty of awesome Australians. I’d rather associate with the awesome people than the shitty people, no matter their nationality.
FWIW, I also can’t get into team spectator sports, and I find the excitement over a home team win emotionally bewildering.
Not for me. 
I don’t understand why people think the Monkeysphere analogy is clever or explains anything at all. You could write the exact same script with humans. It merely restates the problem. It doesn’t explain or justify a damn thing. Yes, people feel more affinity to those they have more affiliations with. This fact is what the OP is precisely trying to deconstruct, not have restated to him with an overwrought analogy.
Yes. I have heard that Carlin routine a few times. For him, it’s right up there with God Bless America, which is meaningless shit also according to George (and me).
ETA: Never saw your Youtube link, and can’t watch it from here anyway. Maybe my post is redundant.
I think what people are really saying is that they are pleased to be an American. Lee Greenwood just fucked it up.
Really? You don’t vote and participate in projects that benefit your community? You’ve contributed nothing? You think it’s some strange accident that our laws and customs moved the nation forward to where it is today? Seriously? Walk south through an entire continent and explain the difference in success given the same wealth of resources and available population.