Patriotism and Entitlement

Commentary

Two intriguing surveys with profound implications were published recently. One dealt with patriotism, the other with the attitude of entitlement. Let’s start with patriotism.

On June 30, The Epoch Times reported on a Gallup poll indicating that “U.S. patriotism has plunged to a historic low.” A closer look at patriotism—defined in the poll as how proud one is to be an American—shows that the decline is largely partisan- and age-related.

Democrats set a record low with only 36 percent of those polled expressing much pride in being American. Similarly, only about 40 percent of the youngest generation polled—Gen Z (the oldest of whom are 28 years old)—felt “strong pride in being American.”

By contrast, the Gallup poll found that 92 percent of Republicans, about 60 percent of millennials, and 70 percent of older generations were proud of their citizenship.

What would explain a lack of patriotic pride—whether a lukewarm appreciation for one’s own country or an outright denunciation of it? Having gone through a period of—dare I say it?—anti-Americanism as a college student, I believe that I can offer at least a partial explanation.

Many Americans are subjected to a barrage of criticisms of our country. As I have written in this space before, the epidemic of teen depression is a national scandal, largely attributable to the warped view of reality to which their so-called educators subject them. Indeed, negativism is pervasive on many college campuses. A steady diet of the same United States-condemning negativism is fed to Americans through various media outlets, too.

There are several facts of life to consider before concluding that our country doesn’t deserve our pride.

First, perspective: Yes, our country has problems and challenges. But look at all the good our country has accomplished: amazingly high standards of living compared with earlier generations; the defeat of Nazism, fascism, Japanese militarism, and Soviet communism (the latter without firing a shot!), which made the world a safer place; and huge progress in reducing racism, pollution, and poverty. The United States may not be heaven on earth, but we have much to be proud of and grateful for.

Second: When the other party has the upper hand in Washington, it isn’t the end of hope. Political power does not guarantee a great society. If top-down centralized planning were the key to creating the ideal society, then surely the various totalitarian regimes that have existed throughout history would have proven that theory by now. But they haven’t. Actually, inventions, solutions, and prosperity emerge from the private sector, so even if your party is not in a position to implement its plans, you can still make positive contributions to society through your individual efforts.

Third, perhaps we Americans are somewhat spoiled. Growing up, I was never threatened by hunger or homelessness. All my needs were met, and I pretty much took that state of affairs for granted as the normal way things are supposed to be. Why couldn’t everyone have it that good, as I so naively believed? While I was in college, and all the bills were paid for me, and food services prepared my meals, and I had abundant time to fool around, life seemed easy. When I got out of school, I had to scramble for jobs to make sure that I could pay the rent and utilities and buy groceries and gas. The proverbial light bulb came on: I began to see that life was more complicated and less easy than I had imagined in the bubble of college life.

Millions of Americans today are, if you’ll pardon me, spoiled just like I was. This attitude is particularly pronounced among Gen Z, as the other survey I mentioned above—this one by Intelligent.com—highlighted. That survey found that “24 [percent] of hiring managers believe recent college graduates are unprepared for the workforce, while 33 [percent] cite a lack of work ethic, and 29 [percent] view them as entitled.” Many students graduate from college firmly believing that they are entitled to start out with a gaudy salary and a wide range of perks, while having minimal accountability. How did this attitude take root in so many young Americans?

Frankly, students have been babied. Academic standards have been watered down, and students have been given so-called safe spaces in which they are insulated from interaction with people holding differing opinions. They have been deceived by the implied promise that a bachelor’s degree guarantees them access to a great job.

How much do you want to bet that young people given such an unrealistic view of how the world works are the ones who don’t feel patriotic about their country? Everyday reality falls far short of the fantasies by which so many college students have been mesmerized. It can be a shock to these young adults to learn that, while all Americans have the opportunity to achieve success, in reality, some succeed and others do not.

To these compatriots, I would say: The essence of the American Dream has always been for each of us to have the freedom that provides the opportunity to achieve success and do our small part to contribute to social progress. However, freedom does not guarantee success.

For those of you currently not feeling patriotic pride in being an American, may you learn to appreciate the freedoms that we Americans have. If that is not enough for you, best of luck in finding a country where your dreams can come true.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.