I have many friends that live in different parts of the world and talking to them always helps me gain the valuable and needed perspective we all seem to need in life. I really appreciate how these conversations are always eye opening to me, mostly because I'm constantly reminded that the way I see America is completely different from the image we project to the rest of the world.

Our unique label of patriotism is Admired

Specially by the people of countries that are struggling economically with the most obscene corruption and inflation. In the eyes of those who only know of America through the movies, the exaggerated stories and our powerful military, we are either seen as the policing force of the world, or the biggest bully that has ever existed. A nation that as much as its feared, its also admired for its "apparent efficiency". If that last line has you scratching your head, asking yourself if I've had one too many beers, it might be because you've never spoken to these foreigners yourself, some of them stand in awe that we have a working fire department every few blocks, imagine that.

But don't get me wrong, I get it, we are far from perfect and that should be undeniable to a practitioner of honesty. The point I'm trying to make however is that for all the flaws that we may have as a nation, the corruption, the ongoing scandals and all those other things that keep us awake at night, we have thousands of things that actually do work, and as with anything that's taken for granted, they are too easy to forget.

Within our borders

We love to argue, we love to pretend that we are about two teams comically represented by a donkey and an elephant. I've come to conclude that this perceived dichotomy is nothing but an illusion and a tool of distraction. As long as we argue between us, we will be too entertained to much about the things that still need fixing.

Attempting to move away from the fabricated dichotomy, even if its by kneeling peacefully for the national anthem or posting opinions on social media is sometimes labeled as treason and censored. I for one see this attempt to control the masses as an indication of social rot, of erosion of freedoms, but I'm willing to say that I may be allowing my bias to get the best of me.

Why are we always at War?

I've asked myself that very question thousands of times at this point. Is it necessary to keep our sense of patriotism alive? As ugly as that idea might sound to us, it might be very accurate. Having an enemy does wonders to unite a group of people that have a hard time agreeing on anything.

Maybe the answer to that question is even uglier than I can possibly imagine. Maybe the rot goes a lot deeper and for all the money we think is being made by the war mongering elites, there are billions that go completely undetected. Mind you, all this happens, all this death, all these fights, in the name of freedom, covered with a blanket made from our unique sense patriotism.

I have nothing but love for our vets

And I dislike the fact that I constantly have to say that in order to not be attacked by "the unique patriots". Why would I not appreciate people who served the country I call home? Yes, its true, I've never been one to support wars, to reel at the idea of beating the war drums, but my disdain for war has nothing to do with the soldiers that served. They served our country, my country, in the name of our unique patriotism too.

Maybe this unique patriotism is so ingrained into our culture, so essential to our very existence that there is not way to be rid of it. How then could we convince men who started shaving a few months ago, that now is a good time to die in the middle east, because.... freedom, because its somehow our duty to bring freedom to another country?

I'm sorry to be blunt, I'm sorry if I offend you, it just makes no sense to me and it never will. I mean, whats the end goal? what is the outcome we are looking for? Does it even matter? Maybe it doesn't, maybe none of the conflicts to come will change a thing, because just like before they won't change a thing about our unique patriotism and as long as that is intact the machine will continue to chug along, even long after you and I are gone.