Is it a crime to hate the US?

reply to post by Narcissous


It's not a crime but there sure is a lot of envy behind it.

I don't hate my country because it's still one of the most free countries in the world, whether you like it or not...or agree or not.

However, our government structure has collapsed and turned into a corporate mess. It no longer represents the common man, but represents Wall Street.

Other than that, I love my country. We can bash the government, the president, shoot guns, watch porn, eat fast food, have sex, and so forth...and no one is stopping me.

But yet again, it seems if I wanted to marry someone of the same sex....that is illegal.

America is a great, but unique place.

As a few have said before there is a big difference between hating Americans and hating America. We're painted as fat, lazy, idiots glued to the television when that's not really the case. Most Americans are honest people just like everyone else in the world trying to just get by and/or provide for their family. Not thinking they're superior to every other country in the world.

Our government on the other hand is a different story, but again to say every single gov't employee is corrupted is just stupid. There are some people that get into local or other types of gov't with good intentions, hoping they can make things better in some small way. It's ignorant to think everyone who aspires to work for the gov't in some way is only thinking of how they can exploit it for their own gain. Of course there's people who do think that way, but there's people like that in every profession out there.

Then it always comes down to people from other countries saying how its Americans' fault for how things came to be, as though we should have all banded together and march on the capital and do what exactly? It's easy enough to say Americans should rebel against their leadership but this isn't the 1700's anymore, where that type of thing would have a chance of working. Any type of armed resistance would be put down with hardly an effort on their part. Any militia we could come up with would be severely outclassed by what our governments forces would be armed with.

So yes while there is a lot of about the leadership of this country(and don't be blind enough to think America is the only corrupt gov't out there at the moment) to be hateful towards. You shouldn't pigeonhole an entire nation of people just for the actions of the minority. Although I know its the in thing right now to hate on America, please try to see things from all angles before dishing out bigotry. As with all great nations, things have high points and low points. America is no longer the super power it was 100 odd years ago. All Americans alive today have no clue what its like to not be the top country in the world, so to see ourselves fall to what we have become can make people react in many different ways.

I think I'm in the majority here when I say that I agree with you. At times (nearly always) it feels as though we are powerless to our government. They basically do what they want, when they want, and we really don't have a say in it. We are told we live in a democracy but in reality, that couldn't be farther from the truth. Our rights have been slowly stripped away, and unfortunately, we're losing our hold on the few that remain. It's an incredibly flawed system that we live in, and I truly wish we could change it.

Our leaders are bullies, plain and simple. They believe that their way is the ONLY way and that everyone else in the world needs to conform to their way of thinking, or else face consequences...and for lack of a better term, that sucks. It really does.

Funny thing, struck up a random conversation with some cops at a coffee shop the other day. Started talking about the BS and how much I dislike the government and what my beloved country has turned in to. They actually agreed with me and we also talked about where else we could go to get away from this mess uuntil someone fixes it, if ever.

Long story short, no not a crime.

reply to post by Narcissous


Definitely not a crime to hate what the US represents. That being said, with all that I've read, it's definitely not far fetched whatsoever if America (including my family and myself) were to be attacked, not necessarily by Americans but that's very much possible too.

It's not a crime, which is the beauty of being here, on this site you'll find plenty of people that live here & complain about it, yet don't get the fact that they are able to do that ,which makes this country great. If you live here and don't love it then leave, we have no use for you. If you are like I am and can see that it can be greater than it is, stay & fight for the change you want to see...

reply to post by Narcissous


I live in the US.

I find a lot of what we do idiotic.

I find a lot of our interests unimportant.

I find a lot of our ideals warped.

I find our common sense and willingness to accept or even hear new ideas lacking.

Do I hate America? No. I hate the state of America, but I know the people aren't to blame for what has happened and is continuing to happen, at least not completely.

My patriotism to this country, in my opinion, is believing it CAN change, and it changes with the beliefs of the people.



There are a lot of people in this country who would tell you "if you don't believe in fighting for your country, you should find another country." I never understood that, because I know, personally, that most of these people are the same ones who despise politicians. The same politicians who evoke injust war.

Often times I get this stoic militarists to admit that World War II was the last legitimate war we were in, but still they hold strong to this opinion that I still owe my strength and courage to the cause.

The cause I don't believe in. The cause I will never believe in. Because a politician said so. In the "Land of the Free" which implies Free-Will and Free-Thinking.

Their faith is unshakable - not because their faith is in America, but because they believe they're fighting for their neighbors.

Unfortunately, it is also my opinion that these people are wrong - not because their opinion is wrong, but because they are fighting for something they don't believe in under the banner of something else. It doesn't matter how many enemies you kill, the chances of a terrorist attack are the same. It doesn't matter how long you're in a war if the war has no objective - your neighbor never gets any safer. Yet if I tried to tell this to someone with such strong beliefs, they would deny me. They would tell me I am in the wrong, that my opinion isn't any more valid than theirs, and that what I say is offensive, because I am denouncing their beliefs.

Humans are monkeys. They only recognize beliefs can be wrong until the beliefs in question become their own. Intelligent people know how to manipulate their listeners into zealotry. It isn't limited to America, although in our current age it does seem rampant in America.



OP, no one can blame you for hating America, if you do.

But I strongly think your hate is misplaced.

I think you should hate politics. People may have allowed themselves to be lulled into this helpless state, but you can't blame them, because there were once honest politicians in America.

Originally posted by SeventhSeal
I don't hate my country because it's still one of the most free countries in the world, whether you like it or not...or agree or not.

And you aren't automatically right just because you believe something.

reply to post by Narcissous


This is in response to the OP, I've not explored the rest of the thread, the internet here is a little laggy atm.

I'm not sure how familiar you are with George Carlin, but he really says it best,



Sorry for the sound quality. There are lots of good clips on what he thinks about America.

In his book he describes a similar feeling as yours. He did admittedly hate the majority of people, but on an individual basis he was more easily swayed.

Anyway, he openly expressed how he felt the about his hatred of America and it's systems. He had a whole bunch of followers, patriotic and the rest. I think it's completely plausible to be an American and achieve what you're talking about. I think it's possible to do it as a European, but you might have to approach it from a different direction.

reply to post by Narcissous


"Is it a crime to hate the US?"

Yes it is...... you'll be classed as a terrorist...... promptly shot and dumped into the ocean.

"Is it a crime to hate the US?"

reply to post by Narcissous


I think it's a civic duty, isn't it?

reply to post by Narcissous


Well, I don't think it's a crime to hate America, but the average American citizen has no control over what it's government does. We elect our leaders and law makers based on the ideals and information they give when they run for an elective office, however once they get in that office they most often backpedal or " flip flop" on their original promises and just do what they want. The largest group of Organized Crime in the world resides in our nations capitols. That doesn't just go for America, but other countries as well, even the communists countries. All one has to do is look at China and North Korea... Only a few select individuals are allowed to thrive in those countries ( mostly large corporations and government officials. As an American, I don't feel that the United States has any right to be the world's policeman. I don't think many Americans would enjoy the idea of a foreign country invading our soil, bombing cities, and telling us how to live and what values we should embrace. I don't blame you for hating America, as of lately we have gotten a bad reputation, but you shouldn't judge all of it's citizens by the actions of it's government. The elections here are rigged from the beginning, by that I mean the candidate who gets the most money wins the office.

reply to post by Village Idiot


Ya because America does that to people ALL the time for no reason whatsoever. Just shooting dumping left and right. Posting on the internet is awesome!!

Edit: Saw your name. Explains a lot. Moving on.

I don't like the US as well. Hate is a big word but..

When growing up as a kid the American culture was ''invading'' us everyhere in Europe, movies, music and so on.
The US was like an example back then, after the war we basicly followed the US.
But now since we have become more like the US ourself (I think) and our governments just benting over to them always (do as she pleases).

Its like we are being used and getting screwed over ourself basicly + of course many things like of course the wars and since I got a feeling the US is always blaming others (saying they are bad or evil) but doing bad and evil herself (it's she (the US) is kinda wicked) and the people over there just not seeing it (well.. not everyone but in general).

It's just a slow progress really, like when you get to know her better after many many years, you starting to dislike her.

I prefer to name the US as she, since she's like a whore basicly, and we doing it with her, do as she likes, blinded to see that she really is ugly inside?

Is it a crime? Well in my eyes its the same when you have a relation for many years but she started to cheat and having a big mouth the whole time, then at some point, you just can't do otherwise?
So in moral sense, it's not a crime IMO.

And yes most people in the US of course are just people, and just the same like over here.
It's not really that if I would walk in the US and meeting people over there I would dislike them I think. I guess they are nice people. (never been in the US though).

You can "hate' anything you want. And "hate' is a powerfull word, that in itself is nasty as it rolls off the tongue.
I don't hate America per say, I hate what America has evolved into.. A big damn mess! Taken over by Corp, corrupt Gov.

I hate the fact we are a war mongering nation, we have zero problem parking that 4 1/2 acre aircraft carrier off your coast and "rattle the sabre". Yea nothing spell's America like FEAR. We have taken the grand experiment of democracy and let it be hi-jacked and ran into the ground. No nation respects us any more they only fear us.

That's not the America of my youth. Hate the system not the citizens, and let's all find us another word to use other than "hate". We have enough of that.

reply to post by SoymilkAlaska


Ha Ha, protecting us from the terrorists...right.

reply to post by Narcissous


It's not currently a crime, but it's trending in that direction. A law was recently passed that made it illegal to protest anyone under US secret service protection, which is basically any politician. Now having said that there is a lot that I dislike about my country (I'm a US citizen). The way the government cares more about it's corporate interests than it's own citizens is completely unacceptable. The results of this priority is endless war and debt. And what's even more frustrating is that no one in this country seems to care. As long as they have a TV and fast food in front of them, they shut everything else out. And the people that do care are cast out as the crazy ones. I won't go into a whole rant (I could go for days), but there are plenty of americans that share your sentiment. I don't hate anyone personally, I just don't understand their blatant lack of morality and compassion. We are "free" to believe what they tell us to believe. We are not free to believe anything that goes against their system.

Originally posted by thegagefather

Originally posted by SeventhSeal
I don't hate my country because it's still one of the most free countries in the world, whether you like it or not...or agree or not.

And you aren't automatically right just because you believe something.

But you do realize it's true.

reply to post by SeventhSeal


It seems free because we have lots of nice things and a good infrastructure, but no country that is so heavily entrenched in debt is totally "free." That debt is on you and me, and we will have to work the rest of our lives to pay it off. Yes I love the fact that socially we are a lot more free than a lot of countries, but until the priority shifts from "money money money power power power" to "compassion peace responsibility balance sustainability unity, etc", you will just be a cog in a giant machine. When corporations have more freedom than you as an individual, you're not free.