America is not perfect. But I love the land of the free
Our constitutional freedoms, combined with America’s free market economy, have made our country extraordinarily successful by most measures.
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It has been 248 years since we founded this beautiful country, America; two hundred and forty-eight years since our predecessors declared that it had become “necessary for a people to dissolve political bands,” and resolved that “whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it.”
What an extraordinary idea.
But what has become of the United States of America in this time? Should we still love our country even if we can’t stand it? Can we still call ourselves patriots even as we struggle through the worst election year ever?
Patriotism is declining
If you feel like people love America a little less than they used to, you’re not imagining it. Polls show that patriotism has declined, especially among young people. In a 2023 Wall Street Journal poll, only 38% said patriotism was very important to them. That’s a significant drop from 1998, when 70% said patriotism was very important.
It’s notable that it’s not just patriotism that’s declined. The same poll found that Americans are now much less interested in things that used to be important to almost everyone; the importance of religion, children, and community has also declined sharply.
The retreat from traditional values is particularly pronounced among America’s Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012. It’s disheartening to see that the next generation of leaders is not just anti-patriotic, but against, well, everything that gives life meaning except money. Apathy is not a value, but Generation Z seems to think so. (Good luck with that; please reconsider.)
Generation Z has a big problem: Our growing gender gap has taken on political proportions. It is destroying our relationships.
Anti-American sentiments also seem to be on the rise. People are more vocal about their disdain for this country than they used to be. At least social media is giving them a more obvious platform to talk about how much they don’t like America.
Even the protests this spring on college campuses across the country were a mixture of anti-Semitism and anti-American ideas. It’s disheartening to see 20-year-olds trying to tear down the American flag at one of the best universities in the world. That’s the height of privilege.
Globally, views of America are mixed. A 2021 Pew Research Center poll found that outsiders view the United States positively on some issues—such as its advanced technology, entertainment industry, strong military and top universities—but negatively on others, such as its fledgling health care system, discrimination and the state of its democracy.
America is not perfect
America is certainly not perfect. But my concerns as a millennial are probably different from those of Generation Z. There is a large generational divide in terms of what government should and should not do, rooted in political ideology among other things. I tend to believe that “the best government is the one that governs the least,” and so I am in favor of smaller government that gives Americans the foundation and backbone they need to succeed, rather than a government that favors handouts.
In that sense, I believe the American government is much larger than it should be and spends taxpayer money ad infinitum. Aside from a massive increase in defense spending during World War II, non-defense spending as a share of gross domestic product has risen steadily for a century. The national debt is monstrous and not only currently impacts inflation, driving up the prices of everyday goods for Americans, but will also hurt the country in the long term.
I am a Republican. Progressives are wrong in my belief.
Taxes are also extremely high, although they have been falling since the 1940s to the 1960s. Remember that Americans in the original colonies revolted against the taxation of tea, although this is less serious than our present high tax rates. It was one of many in a “long line of abuses and usurpations” that led them to believe it was “their right… their duty to throw off such a government.”
I’m sure the Founding Fathers would be disgusted to see what we, the American taxpayers, have allowed to happen. If taxes don’t raise your blood pressure, then look at the deductions on your paycheck and see if that doesn’t at least spark a little Boston Harbor-esque, righteous indignation.
Some taxes are good and necessary. They provide for defense and the general welfare of Americans, but the wealthiest in America pay more than their fair share and even the taxes on the middle class are too high.
America is still great
For all the complaints one could make about America – taxes, racism, poverty, health care – the overall economic benefits of being American far outweigh our problems. In fact, some of the benefits are so taken for granted that we probably don’t recognize them as such. They’re a given.
The US Constitution provides a set of parameters, checks and balances designed to prevent a power-hungry dictator from turning the country into a hellhole. If you think Donald Trump or Joe Biden are power-hungry dictators, you can check yourself by the fact that I have the freedom to write this column: if either of them were really a dictator, you wouldn’t be reading this, because I would have been sent to a gulag long ago.
And the United States values not only its own free people, but others as well. With the help of our allies, we consistently keep evil regimes at bay, from Nazism and Soviet Communism to the terrorists of the Islamic State and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Evil leaders still exist, but they have not conquered the world, not least because Americans have served and continue to serve on the front lines of freedom.
Our own freedoms – freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and my favorite, the right to “petition the government to right grievances” – are different from what much of the world enjoys. While there are limitations, and there should be, freedom of religion and the freedom to speak out for one’s beliefs or against our own government are paramount and unprecedented. Sure, Russia has extraordinary architecture, but you can be imprisoned and poisoned if you disagree with Putin. I’ll take freedom for $500 any day, Alex.
These freedoms, coupled with America’s free market, have made America extraordinarily successful by most measures. From its robust economy and our massive military that protects freedom rather than destroys it, to thriving entrepreneurs, America leads the world in so many areas.
Generation Z has become skeptical of innovation, capitalism, and prosperity. That’s silly. America has more billionaires than any other country, thanks to the innovations we all enjoy. In fact, a Mother Jones headline reads, “America’s 806 Billionaires Are Now Richer Than Half the Population.” I suppose a liberal would read that and feel outrage, maybe even fear. I think that’s great.
Wealth allows Americans to be generous, help those living in poverty, and continue to invent incredible things. Just one example: In 2022, Americans donated nearly $500 billion to charity, ranking them the third most generous country.
The election this year is a tough fight. We have to choose between a convicted narcissist and an incompetent older man who refuses to leave the stage. That’s not great. America has its problems, but it could be much worse. This too shall pass.
America is still a wonderful place to live and thrive. It’s so great that you can complain about it all you want and still live here.
I am so glad that 248 years ago a band of patriots, far braver than I, had the foresight to declare their independence from tyranny and “form a more perfect union.”
Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four children. Subscribe to her newsletter, The Right Track, and have it delivered to your inbox.
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