Comments on: Do dissenting liberals take the positive aspects of their country for granted? http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/06/15/do-dissenting-liberals-take-the-positive-aspects-of-their-country-for-granted/ Human Animals at the Crossroads of Culture, Science, Religion and Media Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:37:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Morgan Keller http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/06/15/do-dissenting-liberals-take-the-positive-aspects-of-their-country-for-granted/#comment-491 Morgan Keller Fri, 16 Jun 2006 21:21:48 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=242#comment-491 All human cultures are a mix of pros and cons. Human social experience will never be perfection for anyone in the reality of our imperfect and innumerably faceted world. But it is indeed human to strive TOWARDS what we see as hinting at near perfection. We have the capacity, the desire, the need, to strive for that which we see as better. We just don't all always agree on what it is that is better or how to go about establishing what is better. I have always considered myself very lucky to be born an American, living in a land of freedoms and wealths that many other peoples around the world do not enjoy the have the privilege of. Those freedoms and other benefits should not be taken for granted, but they need not be paid for and perpetuated by virtue of certain ways defined by particularly narrow mindsets. We each have something we can contribute back to society in terms of defining a problem or limitation in which we can be a part of productive and healthy progress. Personally I prefer living and traveling abroad, particularly in Europe as I very much enjoyed the years I spent there. America has its drawbacks, but I am lucky to have been born an American. Every day I think of negative issues that can be dissected, challenged, and reformed. For some of us, that is our natural mental nature, a prevalent aptitude for active consideration of such challenges. All human cultures are a mix of pros and cons. Human social experience will never be perfection for anyone in the reality of our imperfect and innumerably faceted world. But it is indeed human to strive TOWARDS what we see as hinting at near perfection. We have the capacity, the desire, the need, to strive for that which we see as better. We just don’t all always agree on what it is that is better or how to go about establishing what is better. I have always considered myself very lucky to be born an American, living in a land of freedoms and wealths that many other peoples around the world do not enjoy the have the privilege of. Those freedoms and other benefits should not be taken for granted, but they need not be paid for and perpetuated by virtue of certain ways defined by particularly narrow mindsets. We each have something we can contribute back to society in terms of defining a problem or limitation in which we can be a part of productive and healthy progress.

Personally I prefer living and traveling abroad, particularly in Europe as I very much enjoyed the years I spent there. America has its drawbacks, but I am lucky to have been born an American. Every day I think of negative issues that can be dissected, challenged, and reformed. For some of us, that is our natural mental nature, a prevalent aptitude for active consideration of such challenges.

]]> By: Erika Price http://dangerousintersection.org/2006/06/15/do-dissenting-liberals-take-the-positive-aspects-of-their-country-for-granted/#comment-473 Erika Price Thu, 15 Jun 2006 22:34:12 +0000 http://dangerousintersection.org/?p=242#comment-473 It seems to me that both extreme anti-national cynicism and nationalistic pride require a level of denial. And any kind of idealization of a country will always make that country's harsh realities fall short. I see the value in stopping to realize the assets that our country has. But we should never become complacent. As much as we have room for dialogue and disagreement in the United States, we also have a great deal of apathy and misinformation, too. Even if the US does enjoy a more anti-establishment movement, that movement still pales in comparison to the power of the real opposing party, which at the moment does little more than give confusing soundbites and shy away from true opposition. As long as we continue to find the present situation unsatisfactory, we move closer to actually changing it. Even if we had the "best nation on earth" that many social conservatives think we have, we would still have a vast amount of room for improvement. It seems to me that both extreme anti-national cynicism and nationalistic pride require a level of denial. And any kind of idealization of a country will always make that country’s harsh realities fall short.

I see the value in stopping to realize the assets that our country has. But we should never become complacent. As much as we have room for dialogue and disagreement in the United States, we also have a great deal of apathy and misinformation, too. Even if the US does enjoy a more anti-establishment movement, that movement still pales in comparison to the power of the real opposing party, which at the moment does little more than give confusing soundbites and shy away from true opposition.

As long as we continue to find the present situation unsatisfactory, we move closer to actually changing it. Even if we had the “best nation on earth” that many social conservatives think we have, we would still have a vast amount of room for improvement.

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