There seems to be a growing number of Americans who believe this country is some horrible, oppressive nightmare. According to them, America is racist, evil, corrupt beyond repair, and one step away from becoming the worst societies in human history. Social media is filled with people comparing modern America to dictatorships, fascist regimes, and tyrannical governments. Entire groups of people speak as though simply living in America is some unbearable burden.
The problem is not criticism. Every country should be criticized when criticism is deserved. America has flaws. Every country does. The problem is that too many people have completely lost perspective or simply never had it to begin with. Being critical of America is fine, but if America is truly such a terrible place to live, then why are millions of people around the world still, to this day, trying desperately to come here?
That question alone should give people pause when it comes to how they look at America. People do not risk their lives to enter hopeless countries. That is what they are fleeing. They do not cross deserts, deal with cartels, sneak across borders, and leave behind everything they know because they believe America is horrible. They come here because, despite our problems, America still offers something most of the world does not: opportunity, stability, freedom, and the possibility of anyone building a better life.
Many Americans have become so comfortable that they no longer understand what real hardship actually looks like. They mistake inconvenience for oppression. They mistake disagreement for persecution. They mistake emotional discomfort for suffering.
There are people around the world who live with rolling blackouts as a normal part of life. There are places where clean drinking water is not guaranteed, heck it may not even be available. There are countries where corruption is so common that people simply expect government officials to steal from them. There are areas where gangs control entire neighborhoods and law enforcement is powerless to stop them. There are governments that imprison, torture, and kill people for speaking out against them.
And I’m not talking about a few misguided people who put themselves in harms way and then ended up paying with their lives. A person willingly putting themself in a dangerous situation is not the same as someone grabbed from their bed in the middle of the night, never to be seen or heard from again. Those are two very different things, yet some try to present them as equal.
These are not equal. One is poor decision making. The other is real oppression. People need to recognize the difference.
Meanwhile, in America, some people act like getting the wrong coffee order or hearing an opinion they dislike is somehow evidence that society is collapsing. We now live in a culture where some individuals behave as though mixing up soy milk and almond milk in a double-shot mocha latte is a legitimate crisis. That is not hardship. That is what happens when people become so spoiled that even minor inconveniences begin to feel catastrophic.
One of the biggest reasons for this distorted worldview is that too many people form opinions through fake versions of reality. Watching vacation commercials about another country does not show you what life in that country is actually like. It shows you what the tourism industry wants you to see so you will spend your money there. Beautiful beaches, luxury resorts, smiling people, and drinks by the pool are marketing tools, not reality.
If you really want to understand another country, go five miles outside the tourist areas. Go where the cameras stop rolling. Go where the polished version disappears. Look at the neighborhoods tourists are warned to stay away from. Look at the poverty. Look at the broken infrastructure. Look at the people struggling just to survive.
That is the real world. That is the world being omitted when these people are forming their opinions. The real world is the part that is the most important to form an educated opinion, not an emotional one.
Too many people today build strong opinions based on thirty-second clips, emotional headlines, and social media outrage. They think reading a few online comments somehow makes them experts in international politics, economics, diplomacy, and global suffering. It does not. In fact, I truly believe that there is way too much “thinking” going on and not nearly enough “knowing”. If you are unsure of the difference between thinking and knowing, then you are probably part of this problem.
You see, there are some things in life that cannot truly be understood unless you actually experience them. If you have never been fully submerged in an ice bath, then you do not truly know what it feels like no matter how many videos you watch about it. You can imagine it, but imagining something and experiencing it are two very different things.
The same applies to poverty, violence, corruption, fear, instability, fascism, tyranny and even a dictatorship.
If you have never walked through areas where people are genuinely afraid for their safety every single day, then you do not have the proper point of reference to compare America to truly broken societies.
Another major problem is that people have become very good at criticizing everyone else while becoming terrible at criticizing themselves. Self-reflection is disappearing. People demand accountability from governments, businesses, schools, neighbors, strangers, and society itself, yet often refuse to honestly examine their own behavior.
It’s like the aggressive driver weaving through traffic, tailgating everyone, cutting people off, and flipping off the person actually obeying the speed limit. That driver genuinely believes everyone else is the problem. The person creating the danger cannot see that they are actually the bad driver. That same person often ends up carrying that same attitude into other aspects of their life. They think they are always right, when the truth is, they are usually the problem. But the problem with a bad driver, is that they don’t realize, or want to admit, that the bad driver is them.
Modern American society is becoming filled with people like that.
Many people judge themselves based on intentions while judging everyone else based on actions. Or in some cases, which might actually be more likely, they will give themselves a “free pass” when it comes to doing or being wrong. They excuse their own bad behavior because they believe they are emotionally justified. Meanwhile, they judge everyone else harshly for even the smallest mistakes.
Before people start trying to give their input about how to rebuild society, maybe they should first make sure they can properly manage themselves. If you are going to complain about the neighbor’s backyard, you better make sure your own backyard is in order first.
One of the best things about America is that people are free to criticize it. Many Americans have completely forgotten how rare that freedom actually is. In many parts of the world, criticizing the government can get you beaten, imprisoned, or killed. In America, people openly insult political leaders, protest in the streets, attack the country online, and condemn the system publicly every single day with little fear of government retaliation.
The recent “No Kings” rallies are another excellent example of the freedoms enjoyed by Americans. People take to the streets, they blow whistles, carry signs and shout their opinions at the top of their lungs. It’s obvious these people have no clue how an actual monarchy works. We all know these rallies are to protest Donald Trump, and in reality, if he did consider himself a king, these protestors would be arrested or maybe just shot on the street. No big headlines, no nightly news report. If what they protest was actually true, they would not be able to protest. They would be imprisoned or dead. But they’re not. They’re free to protest, which, in itself, makes a mockery of their position.
But that freedom did not magically appear on its own. It exists because generations before us were willing to sacrifice and die to protect it. Many of the freedoms Americans casually enjoy today were secured by people willing to lay down their lives for a future they would never personally see. They fought, suffered, and died so future generations could live free.
People today wildly underestimate how fragile the outcome of history actually was.
There have already been two major global conflicts that reshaped the world forever. During World War II especially, the outcome was not guaranteed. Had America failed to join the fight and stand against the Axis powers, the modern world could look radically different today. It is very possible that authoritarian regimes would have spread across much larger parts of the planet. Entire societies, cultures, freedoms, and governments may never have survived. Heck, had America not joined the fight, this article might have had to be written in either Germen or Japanese. Let that sink in.
Many people today act as though freedom was inevitable. It was not. The world we currently live in exists because previous generations fought and died to preserve it. Had history unfolded differently, many of the same people casually attacking America online today may have grown up in societies where speaking against the government would have resulted in imprisonment or execution instead of social media engagement and online popularity.
If someone wants a glimpse into how dramatically different the world could have become, they should watch The Man in the High Castle. While fictional, the series presents a world shaped by an Axis victory and serves as a reminder that history could have gone very differently. And people should be beyond grateful that it didn’t.
That is why it is frustrating to watch Americans casually insult and condemn the very country that played such a major role in preserving freedom across much of the world. Criticism is one thing. Blind hatred and historical ignorance are something else entirely.
It is also time to ask an important question: what does it actually mean to be an American?
In my opinion, being American means far more than simply being born within the borders of the United States. Being born here may legally make someone a citizen, but it does not automatically make someone American in spirit. A person can be born in this country, live here their entire life, enjoy every freedom and protection America provides, and still openly resent the country itself. They can benefit from the sacrifices made by previous generations while showing little appreciation, loyalty, or concern for preserving what those generations fought to protect.
To me, being American is not just geography. It is loyalty. It is appreciation. It is responsibility. It is understanding that this country, despite its flaws, is still your home and worth protecting. It means recognizing that the freedoms so many people casually take for granted today only exist because others were willing to sacrifice everything to defend them. In my opinion, people born here actually owe this country an even greater sense of loyalty because they inherited the benefits, protections, and freedoms of America from birth without having to fight to obtain them.
That same standard should apply to people who want to become Americans as well. If someone wants to be considered American, then citizenship should matter. If a person lives here for fifty years but never becomes a citizen, then they may be a long-term resident, but they have never fully committed themselves to becoming American. Citizenship should mean something. It should require effort, sacrifice, dedication, and loyalty. It should not be easy because something valuable should be earned, not just casually handed out.
Becoming an American should mean that America is now your true home regardless of where you were born. It means your loyalty is with this country above all others. This is not to say to eliminate or forget a person’s culture, for culture is not the same as allegiance. There is nothing wrong with being proud of your culture and integrating it into you life as an American. Cultural diversity is a strength, because it actually shows how things can mix together to create a harmonious society. Culture typically originates from the history of a people; allegiance is who you are willing to fight for to protect.
In America, you can absolutely criticize America. In fact, criticism is one of the freedoms that makes America unique. But when it comes down to protecting this country, defending its people, and standing against foreign adversaries, if you are an “American”, your loyalty should remain with America.
If a person living in America roots for foreign enemies against America, celebrates harm done to Americans, or sides with hostile foreign powers over their own country, then in my opinion they are not truly American no matter what paperwork they possess. And if elected officials, like Ilhan Omar, make speeches where it is explicitly said that her dedication and devotion is to Somalia, and not America, then that is where she should reside. If she wants her actions to benefit Somalia, that is fine, but then be part of the Somalian government, not the American government.
Live where your dedication lays.
Being American also means understanding priorities. I care about my neighbors and want good things for them, but my first responsibility is still to my household and my family. The same principle applies to a country. America can care about the rest of the world while still understanding that its first responsibility should be protecting and strengthening its own citizens. A country that cannot properly care for its own people will eventually lose its ability to help anyone else.
If America were ever invaded and every able-bodied citizen was called upon to help defend this country, I would enlist immediately. I would do it for my wife, my children, my grandchildren, my family, my friends, and future generations I may never even meet. That is part of what being American means to me. It means understanding that some things are bigger than yourself and worth protecting at any cost.
There also comes a point where people need to honestly ask themselves what exactly they are supporting and whether those positions actually help or hurt the country they claim to care about. In my opinion, being American is not simply about enjoying the benefits this country provides while ignoring the responsibilities required to preserve it. It means understanding that actions have consequences and that supporting policies which weaken the country, endanger its citizens, or erode stability should not automatically be excused simply because they are wrapped in emotional slogans or presented as “progress”.
Take illegal immigration as an example. In my opinion, a nation has both the right and the responsibility to secure its borders and enforce its laws. If the very first interaction someone has with a country involves knowingly violating that country’s laws, then that is not a good foundation for the relationship, let alone citizenship or national belonging. That does not mean every person entering illegally is evil. In fact, the metrics for law is not based on good vs evil, it is legal vs illegal. It means the act itself is unlawful, and pretending otherwise weakens the integrity of citizenship and the rule of law itself. Citizenship should mean something. Laws should mean something. If they do not, then eventually national identity itself begins to lose meaning.
What confuses me even more are the Americans who openly support policies that clearly place additional strain on the very citizens this country is supposed to protect. Americans are watching violent, unthinkable crimes committed by illegal immigrants against citizens, watching billions of taxpayer dollars disappear through fraud and abuse, watching overwhelmed public systems struggle under enormous pressure, and yet some people still behave as though simply questioning these problems is somehow immoral. In many cases, it feels less like people are thinking critically about consequences and more like they are emotionally reacting to slogans and social pressure.
The same pattern exists in many other areas of modern society. People increasingly support ideas simply because they sound compassionate, trendy, rebellious, or socially approved without fully considering the long-term consequences those ideas may have on families, children, public safety, social stability, or future generations. In some cases, people are even supporting irreversible medical decisions involving children while attacking anyone who raises concerns or asks questions. That should disturb people regardless of political affiliation. A society that discourages honest discussion and labels every disagreement as hatred is a society moving away from reason and toward emotional extremism.
In my opinion, being American means your loyalty is ultimately with America and its citizens first. It means believing this country is worth protecting, even while acknowledging its flaws. It means wanting to strengthen the country rather than constantly looking for ways to tear it down. Criticism is healthy when the goal is improvement. Constant hostility toward the country that protects your freedoms while openly supporting ideas that weaken its stability is something entirely different. In fact, they actually have a word for it: treason.
There is a major difference between wanting America to improve and seeming to resent America for existing at all. Unfortunately, too many people today appear unable to recognize that difference or are actually in support of the latter.
Unfortunately, modern society seems increasingly filled with people who enjoy the benefits of freedom while having little understanding of the sacrifices required to preserve it. Many of the loudest voices online appear more interested in attention, outrage, and self-importance than genuine responsibility, sacrifice, or loyalty. They speak confidently about tearing down systems they barely understand, while offering little evidence they would sacrifice anything meaningful to protect the people around them, let alone the entire country.
Education alone is not wisdom. Having degrees does not automatically make someone intelligent. Real wisdom comes from experience, self-awareness, perspective, sacrifice, and the ability to critically examine yourself honestly. Unfortunately, we now have a society filled with people who have very strong opinions, but very little real-world understanding behind them.
We are getting smaller minds with much, much bigger mouths.
And if people do not regain perspective soon, they may eventually destroy the very country that gave them the freedom to complain in the first place.
I can assure them, as someone who has actually lived abroad and seen the reality of other countries firsthand, they will not like, or maybe even live through, the alternative.
