"Love It Or Leave It!"

There are certain types of arguments that are used by people who just don’t want to bother spending time or effort coming up with something substantive or rational to say. They want to spew a few irrelevant words and be done with the conversation. Often they don’t want to have to actually think about whatever someone else said because the cognitive dissonance makes them existentially uncomfortable.

For example, if you mention that something less than ideal—or something profoundly idiotic and/or evil—is happening in the “land of the free” (sic), many flag-waving nationalistic Muricans will insult and malign you for doing so. How dare you be so ungrateful that you would make reference to problems and injustices that exist in THE-GREATEST-COUNTRY-IN-THE-HISTORY-OF-THE-UNIVERSE (froth, froth, froth)?!?!? Thankfully, the even more idiotic and demented line, “My country, right or wrong!” has gone out of vogue. But “love it or leave it” is only slightly less moronic. Consider how bizarre the “argument” would seem in any other context.

A: “Cool house, dude, but I think you have carpenter ants.”
B: “If you’re gonna criticize my house, get out!”
A: “What? I just meant you might want to do something about that.”
B: “I love this house! It’s the best house ever!”
A: “Wouldn’t it be better without ants destroying it?”
B: “It may not be perfect, but this is the greatest house ever built!”
A: “Look, right there. You can see where the ants are going in.”
B: “I don’t deny that it’s infested.”
A: “So why did you freak out at me?”
B: “Because you’re still a bad person, and my enemy, for pointing it out.”
A: “Dude, chill. It’s a cool house. But it would be better without the ants.”
B: “Show me any house that has fewer ants than mine!”
A: “There are some, but that’s not my point. I’m just suggesting that…”
B: “I’m offended! Take it back, or we have nothing more to say!”
A: “Even if I take it back, you would still have bugs eating your house.”
B: “Mentioning my ants makes you a communist! And a terrorist!”
A: “You have issues, dude.”
B: “Love it or leave it!”
A: “I guess I shouldn’t mention that huge crack in the foundation either.”

Yes, it’s an exaggeration (slightly), but this is the sort of silliness that nationalism and patriotism creates. When people point out the rampant corruption and power-happy psychosis of those in power; when people lament various atrocities committed in the name of “America”; when people criticize the systematic destruction of individual freedom and property rights by agents of the state, there are still some who genuinely get offended, as if it’s a personal affront to them that you noticed something bad happening anywhere inside the invisible line which defines “the United States of America.”

Since when does loving something mean you should go out of your way to not notice, and not do anything about, any problems you see? If you loved your house, wouldn’t you want to know if it had an ant infestation? In fact, wouldn’t you want to be FIRST to notice such problems, and to do whatever you can to fix them?

As one example, when Wikileaks released the video showing U.S. soldiers in a helicopter murdering a group of film-makers, many Americans zealously condemned the ones who leaked the information, instead of condemning the murderers. To them, pointing out “the troops” behaving like sadistic, homicidal monsters was somehow blasphemy. Apparently you should believe that when terrorism, torture and murder are committed by people wearing uniforms with American flags on them, not only is that acceptable, but condemning them for it is cowardly and traitorous. If you don’t at all times express unconditional love and support for absolutely anything that is done in the name of “America,” then apparently you’re a despicable creep who should go live in Somalia.

And the “leave it” part is especially idiotic. If I point out some seriously deranged stuff going on in the U.S., why exactly does that mean that I should leave? And if I do leave, am I then allowed to point out those evils? Is it somehow better to point out the carpenter ants while standing on the other side of the street? Obviously not. Flag-waving Muricans are even less receptive to criticism when it comes from people in other countries. So “Leave it!” is really just code for, “Shut up!”

“Love it or leave it!” roughly translates to, “If you notice something horribly wrong, keep it to yourself!” This coming from people who imagine themselves to be free. This is the sort of crap that Muricans expect from the people of North Korea, for example—the people are too brain-washed and/or scared to point out the horrendous problems and injustices going on there—but they never notice that the people here do the same damn thing.

And if nationalism and loving your country is so great, what do all those Muricans think the people of North Korea should do? Is it noble and virtuous for them to loudly condemn the misdeeds of their ruling class, but nasty and ungrateful for the people here to criticize the American ruling class? As some regime gets worse and worse, where is the magic line where it suddenly stops being treasonous and shameful to complain, and starts being brave and righteous?

Maybe the rule is that as long as things are even worse somewhere else, pointing out problems in your own back yard is bad. Then again, that would mean that dissent and discontent should only happen in one country at a time—whichever is the very worst place on the planet.

There’s a reason I refer to the mentality of many Americans as “battered citizenry syndrome” (similar to “battered spouse syndrome”). Even when they know that the politicians are all crooks, that “government” is inefficient, corrupt, destructive, and maybe even downright evil, they still have emotional tantrums at the idea of life without it. “I know it abuses us, but I think deep down it cares about us! Besides, how would we survive without it? And it promised to be better from now on! And it protects us and provides for us. And if it abuses us, maybe its our own fault.”

So when someone points out any one of the myriad of things that are profoundly screwed up about the U.S. of A., don’t imagine that saying “Love it or leave it!” makes you brave, tough, cool or smart. It doesn’t. It makes you the politicians’ pathetic little bitch, who will continue to make excuses for how great “our” rulers are, even while they abuse the hell out of you day after day, year after year. Grow a spine. Rent some dignity. Stop professing your blind loyalty and obedience to the damn politicians. They are not—and never have been—your servants, your protectors, or your representatives. Whether you love the place, hate the place, or something in between, if your blind nationalism makes it so that you can't recognize and condemn people who are parasites and thieves, crooks and murderers, then you are part of the problem.