To be American...

[Richard-H]

Am I the only person that paid attention in grammar school?

In grammar school I learned that to be American meant to believe in the principals of Democracy, equality and inalienable rights. The principals of the Declaration of Independence and of the enlightenment.

Yet since WWII it seems that Americans have been drawn into a narrative of dichotomies of right vs. left, capitalism vs. communism, nationalism vs. globalism, racism vs. anti-racism, to name a few. These are not based on American principals or philosophies. Our politics have been Europeanized.

To be American, above all else, means to believe in the founding principals - regardless of where a person is born or what their legal citizenship. Anyone that does not believe in these principals is NOT American, regardless of where they were born or of their legal citizenship.

Those people who hide behind and abuse their constitutional rights, in order to promote views that contradict the principals and philosophies that are the foundation of America, void their Constitutional rights.

 

[irosie91]

Am I the only person that paid attention in grammar school?

In grammar school I learned that to be American meant to believe in the principals of Democracy, equality and inalienable rights. The principals of the Declaration of Independence and of the enlightenment.

Yet since WWII it seems that Americans have been drawn into a narrative of dichotomies of right vs. left, capitalism vs. communism, nationalism vs. globalism, racism vs. anti-racism, to name a few. These are not based on American principals or philosophies. Our politics have been Europeanized.

To be American, above all else, means to believe in the founding principals - regardless of where a person is born or what their legal citizenship. Anyone that does not believe in these principals is NOT American, regardless of where they were born or of their legal citizenship.

Those people who hide behind and abuse their constitutional rights, in order to promote views that contradict the principals and philosophies that are the foundation of America, void their Constitutional rights.

you are slightly narrow in your thinking and confused as to what "Europe" does-----or even what
"democracy" is. How about YOU --for the sake of discussion, state some of your own
positions on government, economy and inalienable rights. Keep in mind-----not all rights that
this or that person and group claims -------is included in the INALIENABLE rights category.
That one is a BIG DISCUSSION

 

[Richard-H]

Am I the only person that paid attention in grammar school?

In grammar school I learned that to be American meant to believe in the principals of Democracy, equality and inalienable rights. The principals of the Declaration of Independence and of the enlightenment.

Yet since WWII it seems that Americans have been drawn into a narrative of dichotomies of right vs. left, capitalism vs. communism, nationalism vs. globalism, racism vs. anti-racism, to name a few. These are not based on American principals or philosophies. Our politics have been Europeanized.

To be American, above all else, means to believe in the founding principals - regardless of where a person is born or what their legal citizenship. Anyone that does not believe in these principals is NOT American, regardless of where they were born or of their legal citizenship.

Those people who hide behind and abuse their constitutional rights, in order to promote views that contradict the principals and philosophies that are the foundation of America, void their Constitutional rights.

you are slightly narrow in your thinking and confused as to what "Europe" does-----or even what
"democracy" is. How about YOU --for the sake of discussion, state some of your own
positions on government, economy and inalienable rights. Keep in mind-----not all rights that
this or that person and group claims -------is included in the INALIENABLE rights category.
That one is a BIG DISCUSSION

Per the declaration of independence:

"all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Is that so hard to understand?

Constitutional rights are not necessarily inalienable rights, though they are the 'Law of the Land'.

Believing in inalienable rights is the basis for American philosophy. Constitutional rights are open for argument - the constitution can be amended.

Most of the concepts that debated in the U.S. do have there origins in European politics:
Capitalism vs. Communism
Conservatism vs liberal
Nationalism vs. Globalization
Fascism vs. Anti-fascism


All of these are constructs that were existed in European politics long before they were adopted in American politics.

Many of them may have been all but rejected in modern Europe, but that is where these concepts originated.

 

[irosie91]

Am I the only person that paid attention in grammar school?

In grammar school I learned that to be American meant to believe in the principals of Democracy, equality and inalienable rights. The principals of the Declaration of Independence and of the enlightenment.

Yet since WWII it seems that Americans have been drawn into a narrative of dichotomies of right vs. left, capitalism vs. communism, nationalism vs. globalism, racism vs. anti-racism, to name a few. These are not based on American principals or philosophies. Our politics have been Europeanized.

To be American, above all else, means to believe in the founding principals - regardless of where a person is born or what their legal citizenship. Anyone that does not believe in these principals is NOT American, regardless of where they were born or of their legal citizenship.

Those people who hide behind and abuse their constitutional rights, in order to promote views that contradict the principals and philosophies that are the foundation of America, void their Constitutional rights.

you are slightly narrow in your thinking and confused as to what "Europe" does-----or even what
"democracy" is. How about YOU --for the sake of discussion, state some of your own
positions on government, economy and inalienable rights. Keep in mind-----not all rights that
this or that person and group claims -------is included in the INALIENABLE rights category.
That one is a BIG DISCUSSION

Per the declaration of independence:

"all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Is that so hard to understand?

Constitutional rights are not necessarily inalienable rights, though they are the 'Law of the Land'.

Believing in inalienable rights is the basis for American philosophy. Constitutional rights are open for argument - the constitution can be amended.

Most of the concepts that debated in the U.S. do have there origins in European politics:
Capitalism vs. Communism
Conservatism vs liberal
Nationalism vs. Globalization
Fascism vs. Anti-fascism


All of these are constructs that were existed in European politics long before they were adopted in American politics.

Many of them may have been all but rejected in modern Europe, but that is where these concepts originated.

re read your post-----it makes no sense. discussions on Capitalism vs Communism does not
CLASH with a concept of "inalienable rights" or the concept of the EQUALITY OF ALL MEN