First entry of Ought Seven! Now with Bourbon!

Consider, in the US you can replicate every other place on earth. Deserts, mountains, arctic circle, tropics, islands, mainlands, plains, forests, swamps, two major oceans and a sea etc etc.

You name it, we've got it.

I mention that, to say this. The religion of Americans isn't Protestant, it's not Baptist, or Catholic or Jewish or Muslim. The religion of Americans IS America. We don't feel angry or envious of ANYONE. We feel sorry for the poor people in Sweden, because that's all they'll ever know.

Our national identity is our religious core. It's what gives us hope. We believe in the rightness of what we do BECAUSE "we're Americans". We believe that this place is where there will be a cure for cancer, that this place is the best hope of all mankind, that this place is the most advanced, the best.. the most righteous of all countries.

I dunno if we're right or wrong in that belief, but it explains a lot about our psyche and how we treat others the way we do (both good and bad). When my friends from other nations come here they are staggered by how often they see the American flag waving. To many of them it's uncomfortable, because in their countries such flag waving is a reminder of nationalism, which tends to lead to a feeling of superiority of others and xenophobia and then camps of one kind or another. But in the US, the waving of the flag isn't really "done" for the same reasons. It's done out of an almost religious fervor. We don't want to look down on others, we want to convert them to Americanism! :)

And so we don't understand why we're seen as naive, and dangerous, and oppressive. We don't see ourselves as others see us. And we believe in our Americanism and that if ONLY others would convert they'd see the light of hope, the beacon of truth and justice and opportunity for all, the vision that is America in our hearts. That one of our religious icons is a giant statue holding the torch to both show the way into the future and to welcome others to our cause.. is no mistake.

"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.." so we can convert them.

Happy New Year.. and Welcome, to 2007. :)

Regards,
-Bouncer-