hi dig,
the us is many things. there are things i like. randomly, i like the subversive/humorous part of the culture. i like the immigration culture (even if many republicans don't). i like the sleeping giant thing. i like the positive attitude. individually, americans are often friendly. but the danged gun-toting exceptionalism thing is one of the things i least like.
underlying principle - i try to think not in terms of tribe but in terms of humanity. when i argue against us militaristic nationalism, it isn't so much about the us as about the militaristic nationalism. i have made much the same argument about putin's russian nationalism. militaristic nationalism is a monster.
i think europe and japan were mostly cured of this in ww2. it remains shocking to encounter it in the us and russia.
but heck, i dislike al qaeda more. another sort of triballism for puritan fundamentalists. militaristic religion. freedom to believe what you wish is worth fighting for.
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